O'Gorman: Thousands more visas could be awarded to lower-skilled economic migrants 

Roderic O'Gorman: Pointed to Dublin Bus, which has been seeking to recruit drivers from abroad.

Thousands more visas could be awarded through a new system for lower-skilled economic migrants being pushed by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Roderic O'Gorman has said the international protection process shouldn't be "conflated" with the labour needs of this country and instead wants to broaden the visa system to allow more economic migrants to come here.

His comments come as locals have lifted a barricade at the asylum centre at the Magowna House Hotel in Clare, but says protests will continue.

Mr O'Gorman said: "I believe there's a case for looking at new visa systems for lower-skilled workers.

"We have a visa system at the moment, but it's often directed to very high skills and professions. 

"I think we need to look at broadening that out."

He pointed to Dublin Bus, which has been seeking to recruit new bus drivers from abroad.

"I don't want international protection conflated with the needs of our economy," Mr O'Gorman told Newstalk's On the Record programme.

"International protection is there for a very specific reason, it's for people who are fleeing war, fleeing conflict.

"I think it's right that those people are allowed to work here after a period of time because it's not healthy for people to be doing nothing for long periods of time.

But I don't think we should be seeing international protection as a solution to shortages in the labour market.

"Let's do that in the more appropriate way, which is looking at the visa system."

It comes as the blockade was lifted outside a hotel being used to house international protection applicants in Inch, Co Clare.

Mr O'Gorman admitted that local representatives should have been informed of the decision to use the hotel at an earlier stage.

While he said people should have the right to protest, Mr O'Gorman said he believes blocking a public road was not appropriate.

"I don't believe a blockade is right people are now living in the property in that Inch," he said.

"I think protests should be done in a way that isn't seen as in any way intimidatory and we know some of the international protection applicants have left Inch."