The Government is doing “everything it possibly can” to house asylum seekers but the numbers arriving are “unprecedented”, the Tánaiste has said.

Micheál Martin was speaking as Cabinet prepared to debate two major changes to Ireland’s asylum seeker system.

The first would see Ireland opting-in to the new EU asylum and migration pact, which would oblige the State to carry out stricter screening checks and make asylum decisions faster.

The second would see the State reducing its reliance on hotels for asylum seeker accommodation – and ensure that a town's 'last hotel' could no longer be considered for asylum seekers.

The moves come after the Government came in for heavy criticism for leaving hundreds of asylum seekers to sleep rough outside Dublin’s International Protection Office in the run up to St Patrick’s Day.

“The numbers are far in excess of anything we have experienced before.”

The Government is doing “everything it possibly can” to house asylum seekers but the numbers arriving are “unprecedented” – Micheál Martin.

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) March 27, 2024

Speaking on his way into Cabinet this morning, the Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the Government was doing “everything it possibly can” to house people as they arrive.

“We do provide supports and we do endeavour to accommodate people as quickly as we possibly can,” he said. “But the numbers are unprecedented.

“If you look at the numbers, more asylum seekers came in in the last two years - 2022 and 2023 - than came in between 2013 and 2020.

“So that is the scale of it. The numbers are far in excess of anything we have experienced before – hence the pressures.”

Asylum seekers sleeping in tents outside Dublin’s International Protection Office. Image: Rory Walsh/Newstalk

Minister Martin said countries at war around the world are “weaponising migration”.

“Russia in particular has weaponised migration as part of its war in Ukraine,” he said.

“Twelve million people displaced; it is the largest displacement of people since Word War Two.

“Similarly, across the Middle East and Africa, one witnesses the weaponisation of migration all of the time.”

"Terrible world"

He said countries are purposefully targeting civilians so they “have no option but to leave with their families”.

“That is the terrible world we are living in today,” he said.

Earlier this Justice Minister Helen McEntee said Ireland could find itself “left alone as a country” to deal with the challenges of rising migration if we do not opt-in to the new EU asylum pact.