The government is set to treble the number of asylum seekers it will accept into Ireland, as the humanitarian crisis in Africa and the Middle East deepens.
Frances Fitzgerald says Ireland would admit around 1,800 refugees if the EU agrees to a deal to resettle around 150,000 people.
But already one of her cabinet colleagues has suggested that figure could be far lower than the final amount who could be relocated to Ireland.
Over 100,000 asylum seekers arrived in Germany in August alone - meaning an EU-wide deal to distribute 150,000 asylum seekers among nations may prove to fall far short.
Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reported for Today FM's National Lunchtime News on the numbers that Ireland might accept:
But as Ireland prepares to receive thousands more refugees - the question remains, where will they go?
Depending on the status of the migrants - whether they're classed as refugees or not - some may end up in the Direct Provision system.
With almost 5,000 asylum seekers already living in Direct Provision - some of them for years - NGOs working in the sector say it's long overdue a total reform.
Juliette Gash filed this report for the National Lunchtime News.
