Ireland is to take 600 extra migrants as part of efforts to ease the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.

The Irish Times says the Government has agreed to welcome the Syrian and Eritrean citizens over the next two years.

The Cabinet signed off on the deal in principal this week before a meeting of European Justice Ministers on Monday.

Of the 40,000 migrants currently targeted by the relocation plan, 24-thousand will be re-homed from Italy and 16-thousand from Greece.

The Irish Navy has already sent two ships to help rescue migrants who get into difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to mainland Europe.

Since May they've saved over 37-hundred lives.