The Defence Minister Simon Coveney says Ireland will be "generous but realistic" about taking migrants from the Mediterranean.
Mr Coveney has paid tribute in the Dáil for the work being done by our defence forces on the LE Eithne.
They have already rescued hundreds from the sea off Libya in an operation led by the Italian navy.
The vessel docked in the Italian port of Taranto yesterday, with 399 migrants on board rescued from the Mediterranean over the weekend.
In total, the LE Eithne has picked up more than 1,000 migrants so far.
Italian, German and British ships have also been involved in the rescue missions - with 20 boats said to have been intercepted altogether, including several rubber dinghies.
The Italian coastguard says it has coordinated the rescue of more than 3,300 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
The mission is due to last 10 weeks.
Minister Coveney says Europe needs to discuss what to do with the volume of migrants coming to Italy.
