The Catholic Church has a role to play in providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

That's the view of Fr Paddy Byrne, who says the state and the church should both help those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The Abbeyleix-based parish priest told Newstalk that there are buildings that could be used to provide accommodation.

"Parish halls, clubs that could be a place of shelter and refuge if people are left with that horrible invitation that you can come to Ireland, but unfortunately you have no place to stay."

"I think in drastic scenarios like that, certainly that is a real place that can provide accommodation."

Housing crisis

The comments come as Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman is encouraging refugees to consider other countries, as Ireland can no longer guarantee them housing.

A cabinet sub-committee is to meet on Monday to discuss measures to solve the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

There are currently over 50,000 Ukrainians refugees in Ireland, while there has also been a surge in asylum seekers from other countries fleeing to Irish shores since the end of international travel restrictions.

Ireland is seeing record levels of people living in emergency accommodation and on the streets.

Red Cross

On Friday, 33 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Ireland but the state had no accommodation available for them.

Irish Red Cross Secretary General Liam O'Dwyer believes that more pledges of housing could be used to accommodate Ukrainians who have nowhere to go.

"There are still quite a number of pledged accommodations out there", he said.

"I think the answer to this at the moment", he said, "is to utilise more of the pledged accommodations that's being organised through the local authorities and other NGOs and [the Irish Red Cross]".

Main image shows St Finbarr's Catholic Church in Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland. Picture by: Karlis Dzjamko / Alamy