Refugee crisis: State under pressure to act

Pressure is growing on the Government to act immediately to take in refugees risking death to reach mainland Europe instead of waiting for instructions to come from the EU.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who will represent the Government at an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss a plan of action and member state quotas the week after next, said last night the country would do what was asked of it to ease the crisis.

However, aid agencies, refugee support groups, and opposition parties said a faster and more generous response was vital and was what the public demanded.