'Huge numbers' of asylum seekers continue to arrive in Ireland despite no accommodation

Mr Varadkar said: “It's not our policy to deliberately not provide shelter and accommodation” to those seeking asylum. However, he admitted there is an issue of ongoing shortages of accommodation.

The Taoiseach acknowledged that there are "many dozens, if not hundreds, who have nowhere to stay in Ireland". 

"Even though we are no longer in a position to provide accommodation for single male asylum seekers, we are still seeing huge numbers arrive every week - larger numbers than would have been the case 3, 4, 5, 6 years ago,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

"That's a reflection of what's happening in the world," he said. 

"The real struggle that we’re having at the moment is just to keep up with the numbers that are coming in," he said.

"The numbers are very, very significant and part of what we have to do is have better controls on our borders – we’re doing that – turning around decisions more quickly so that those that are entitled to status get it and those that don’t are asked to leave the State, are required to leave the State if they don’t leave,” the Taoiseach said.

He said they used to have a situation up until 2019 where between 3,000 and 10,000 people arrived in Ireland each year seeking international protection. 

Due to the war in Ukraine and instability around the world, he said "we have accepted over 100,000 people in to our country in the past two to three years and have provided accommodation for almost all of them". 

Mr Varadkar said there are number of reception centres around the country "and there is barely a week that passes that we don't open another reception centre of some sort".