Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has said Ireland will need to take more than 600 refugees, the figure proposed by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.

However, Mr Kelly stopped short of putting a number on the amount of refugees Ireland will take.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said it is “not realistic” to set a figure immediately on the number of refugees Ireland can take.

EU justice ministers will meet to discuss the migration crisis on September 14th.

Ms Fitzgerald said there was “a huge sense that we must do more” but said the figure of 600, which is the number of refugees the Government has committed to take under the current European refugee relocation programme, was “just one statistic in a wider context” of increased numbers of people seeking asylum here and seeking residency under other criteria.

“This Government will step up to the plate in the coming days and weeks. We will have to show leadership with a very strong humanitarian tradition and collectively we will work to help these people. We will certainly take our fair share of refugees and show leadership to Europe and the world in doing so ,” she said.

Mr Kelly said the government will “ step up to the plate and take its fair share”.

Thousands

When asked to put a figure on the amount of refugees Ireland would take, he replied: “We’re certainly talking about thousands. It will be multiples of what figure is already out there. There’s a figure of 600, that’s not going to be the case. There’s definitely going to be substantially more than that. I’m not going to give a figure. I don’t think it appropriate.”

Mr Kelly said the 600 figure is “not enough” and the figure “has to be in the thousands.”

“I’m not going to negate or predispose what figure it will be,” he added.

He said the 600 figure that was put forward needs to be “debunked”.

“We’re going to have to take our fair share and do something quickly.

“I think we will be taking thousands of refugees in the coming months and years and I think its appropriate that we do so and Government needs to put in a plan to do so.

“A small little country like Ireland can show leadership – if we can take even more than our fair share then its up to other countries who’s attitude towards this could be better and should be better and follow our leadership.

Mr Kelly described the image of the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on the beach in Turkey as “harrowing and upsetting”.

Aylan’s five-year-old brother Galip and mother Rehan (35) were among 12 people, including other children, who died after two boats capsized while trying to reach the Greek island of Kos.

“I know last night I couldn’t sleep properly. I have a three-year-old son. It was very harrowing and upsetting.”