The Cabinet signed off on the deal in principal this week before a meeting of European Justice Ministers on Monday.

Of the 40-thousand migrants currently targeted by the relocation plan, 24-thousand will be re-homed from Italy and 16-thousand from Greece.

The Irish Navy has already sent two ships to help rescue migrants who get into difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to mainland Europe.

Since May they've saved over 37-hundred lives.

Jerry O'Connor from the Immigrant Council of Ireland is welcoming the news but he says that a refugee programme needs to be established first