A cross-party group of politicians has begun a campaign to enable more than 250 asylum-seekers who arrived in the State alone as unaccompanied minors to be allowed to remain.
Many of the migrants, who are living in hostel accommodation, now face deportation as they have reached the age of 18.
The majority have been in full-time education and completed their Leaving Certificate or vocational training courses.
However, since turning 18 they have been unable to access free third-level education and as asylum-seekers are prohibited from engaging in full-time work.
The TDs and senators are concerned that the young adults are in an effective administrative limbo and have written to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell seeking a meeting to discuss the issue.
Yesterday a spokesman for Mr McDowell said he had received the letter and would be addressing the issue in the coming days in the Dáil.
Progressive Democrats TD Fiona O'Malley has also contacted her party colleague Mr McDowell to lobby on behalf of the group.
The TDs include Dún Laoghaire TDs Eamon Gilmore from Labour, Barry Andrews from Fianna Fáil and Ciarán Cuffe from the Green Party. Other on the joint campaign includes Tallaght Fianna Fáil TD Charlie O'Connor and Independent Senator David Norris.
The group came together following lobbying from the Dún Laoghaire Refugee Project, which has operated a drop-in centre.
Most of the unaccompanied minors were, until recently, housed in two homes in the area.
Yesterday Ms O'Malley said there was a cross-party consensus that the young adults be supported.
"They are in a very uncertain situation. They have difficulties in terms of accessing education or having full-time jobs, and most of them are in hostel accommodation, surviving on €19 a week. Their situation needs to be regularised," she said.
Labour TD Eamon Gilmore said allowing the young people to remain in Ireland made sense.
"Their number is small, and the circumstances are exceptional. They have grown from adolescence in this country.
"It makes no sense extraditing people who have gone through our education system, in very many cases back to very uncertain circumstances," Mr Gilmore said.