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A man forms a heart as he arrives in Germany. Jens Meyer

Tánaiste says there shouldn't be "upper limit" on the refugees Ireland takes

Joan Burton says initial refugees would be followed later by their families.

Updated 3.35 pm

TÁNAISTE JOAN BURTON has said that she wouldn’t put an upper limit on the number of refugees Ireland takes from Syria in the coming years.

Speaking on The Colette Fitzpatrick Show on Newstalk, the Tánaiste said that the figure of 1,800 refugees that’s been touted by government ministers would be “an initial figure”.

“It could be 5,000, it could be more, I wouldn’t like to put an upper limit on it,” Burton said, explaining that families of refugees settled here could follow later:

“They may have family abroad in camps, they may have family in Syria in the towns under bombardment or under threat from Isis and some of those family members will come to Ireland and we will have a programme of family reunification.”

The Labour leader said that a good example is when Ireland settled Bosnian refugees here, “initially we took 500 people, now we have a very large and significant Bosnian community.”

Ireland has so far signed up to accept 600 refugees as part of the current crisis but both the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice have indicated that this figure could increase to 1,800. 

The Tánaiste’s comments today would suggest that the government now believes that the country will take more refugees over the long-term

Burton said that the people accepted as part of this process would not be taken into the Direct Provision process.

“They will go into accommodation but they won’t be the same category as those in Direct Provision,” she said, suggesting that they may be housed in unused OPW properties.

Vatican Pope Pope Francis has said that each Catholic parish should take in a refugee family. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Papal intervention

In his Sunday sermon today, Pope Francis called on every Catholic parish in Europe to take in a refugee family.

He stressed that it is Christian to help those in desperate need and urged “every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe” to take in a family.

“Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of asylum-seekers fleeing death (as) victims of war and hunger who are hoping to start a new life, the gospel calls on us and asks us to be the neighbour of the smallest and the most abandoned, to give them concrete hope,” he said in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome.

The Vatican’s two parishes would take in two refugee families “in the coming days”, he said, leading by example for Europe’s more than 50,000 Catholic parishes.

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri of the the Islamic Centre Ireland has welcomed the call from Pope Francis and is also urging all Muslim centres and Mosques in Ireland to take in a refugee family.

In a statement this afternoon, Al-Qadri says he and and his wife are willing to adopt two orphans and notes that the Islamic celebration of Eid-ul-Adha begins on 23 September.

- With reporting from © – AFP 2015

Read: Tears of joy as Germany welcomes refugee trains streaming into Munich >

Read: ‘We cry about the Magdalene laundries but throw refugees into rat infested holiday camps’ >

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315 Comments
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    Mute Joan Needham
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:49 PM

    I let my 8yr old son take a day off school last year to spend it watching silage being cut. When I asked him what he was going to tell his teacher the next day, he told me he would tell him he spent the day doing work experience…I couldnt argue with that! I had to take the day off work as a paid holiday to sit with him watching the tractors going by. It was a great memory day for him and me.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Feb 11th 2016, 12:11 AM

    Next time approach a farmer, fairly sure he will let you help, farmers go unnoticed by so many.

    88
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    Mute Matt Donovan
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:38 PM

    That’s the kind of Dad I want to be with my daughter.

    123
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    Mute Papasmurf
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:42 PM

    It would be really funny if it was convent with a mother superior type reading it.

    13
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    Mute Papasmurf
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:43 PM

    Matt, if it was Ireland the kid wouldn’t have made it in at all as they would have all headed back to the residents bar in the hotel for a tipple afterwards.

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    Mute Anne O'Hara
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:39 PM

    The Boss does a show that’s worth the money and more. Fair play to Dad :-)

    91
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    Mute tmwtbc
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:48 PM

    Friend of mine, not a fan until then, went to see him in Dublin around 2010 (open to correction). Met him in a bar for a few pints afterwards and he was absolutely blown away.

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    Mute nf
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:36 PM

    I wanna be that dad

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    Mute Johnneary
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    Feb 10th 2016, 11:39 PM

    Bruce Shillingsteal.
    The Caviar Denim Whingebag.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:48 PM

    Been lucky enough to see the Boss play live, no-one does a show like him. Puts his heart and soul into every classic and is coolness personified. Isabelle will carry that buzz forever. Cool Dad.

    54
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    Mute Papasmurf
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:52 PM

    Willie Nelson is known to keep going too at gigs.

    12
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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Feb 10th 2016, 11:35 PM

    I gave my son the day off after going to see u2 because he called me to ask could he go on to the after party, first told him he would have to go in to school in the morning, then called him back 5 mins later to let him know he didn’t! Thease are special memories for them, allow them to enjoy them. As they say you only live once!! :-)

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    Mute margaret donohoe
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:47 PM

    Amazing dad fair play to him.

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    Mute Lad
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:41 PM

    Letter to work sorted..

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    Mute Tom
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    Feb 10th 2016, 11:36 PM

    Smacks of over sharing, it would be nice if it was their own private experience rather than him claiming it publicly.

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    Mute The Guru
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    Feb 11th 2016, 2:03 AM

    They’re American. They have no concept of over sharing.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Feb 11th 2016, 1:31 AM

    Agh Benny & Tom would you both lighten up! This is about a father & daughter having a great evening out & his daughter having/making a memory that will stay with her all her life! X

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    Mute Jimmy Dunphy
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    Feb 11th 2016, 12:02 AM

    There’s going to be a whole lot of 12 year olds at the next Bruce Springsteen concerts

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    Mute gerry meagher
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    Feb 11th 2016, 1:45 AM

    Mine won’t go ‘dad rock’ ffs

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    Mute Benny Dorm
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    Feb 10th 2016, 10:56 PM

    Nothing spectacular.

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    Mute gerry meagher
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    Feb 10th 2016, 11:11 PM

    Greatest live act prices are a bit steep though although all acts seem to charge more here than rest of Europe citing extra costs logistics etc

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    Mute alpha_chaarlie
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    Feb 11th 2016, 10:18 AM

    Bruce Springsteen is a Langer

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    Mute Derek McEvoy
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    Feb 11th 2016, 8:09 AM

    Thats class, the same man didnt even know about Brian Healys stag in Manchester next weekend. Strange or what. Imagine he knew about the water charges

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