Port of Cork in talks with Government over 'floatels' for asylum seekers

'These discussions are at a very early stage and no definite location has been identified at present'

Government officials are said to be examining what the British government has done in Dorset, where it has used a three-story barge to house hundreds of asylum seekers.

The Port of Cork Company says it has been in talks with the Government about the possibility of sheltering people seeking international protection in so-called 'floatels' in the city.

Earlier this week, the Department of Integration confirmed that officials had been exploring the option of sheltering refugees on 'floatels' and cruise ships in a bid to alleviate what it described as a "severe accommodation shortage.”