Higgins: European response to the migrant crisis 'shameful'

President Michael D Higgins says the European response to the migrant crisis has been "shameful".

His comments come as hopes fade of finding any more survivors in the latest Mediterranean rescue operation.

President Higgins, who addressed some 400 Amnesty International delegates at their annual council meeting in Dublin, said: "The European response as a whole, has not only been late, but been grossly inadequate with Italy, Spain, Malta and Greece left struggling to cope with large influxes of refugees and migrants.

"This failure can only be described as shameful."