INDEPENDENTS 4 CHANGE TD Mick Wallace broke down in the Dáil today while talking about the refugee crisis.

Wallace, who has just returned from Calais, broke down when speaking about one boy he had met who had lost all his family.

He said Ireland could take a lot more refugees and that a lot of Irish families were prepared to take them in. Wallace said he was prepared to do the same.

The Wexford TD said Ireland should at least take in children affected by the conflict:

Ireland can become a champion of minors in term of refugees.

Minister for Defence Simon Coveney earlier confirmed naval vessel LÉ Róisín was preparing for another mission to the Mediterranean.

It will be dispatched with a crew comprising some sixty personnel.

Speaking about the refugee crisis, Coveney said populations the size of Munster were living in shanty towns on the beaches waiting to be herded like cattle onto boats. He also questioned the EU deal with Turkey.

He said sending refugees to Turkey should only be a temporary measure.

I’m not comfortable outsourcing our problem to a neighbour.

We can talk, take stands and express understandable outrage here, but what are we doing in practice to help these people? That is what interests me as acting Minister for Defence.

Coveney said later in a statement: