“Schengen, one of the founding principles of Europe, is in danger of unravelling. Europe needs further agreement on securing its external borders, implementing a legal system of migration to deal with economic migrants and a separate relocation system to ensure refugees are processed and relocated around Europe. We also need countries to work together not unilaterally, which is what is happening at the moment. Europe needs one voice on this crisis but instead we are hearing 28 different voices.

“Whilst Ireland is not a part of the Schengen zone, a breakup of that agreement would have disastrous consequences for Ireland and for the Common market.”

The MEP called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to push for an overriding agreement in Brussels today to pave the way for a new approach to tackling this crisis head on.

She added: “Ireland has agreed to fully participate in the Refugee relocation scheme, which is accessible to persons who arrive on the territory of Italy and Greece from 15 August 2015 until 16 September 2017, from nationalities whose average asylum acceptance rate is over 75%. Last September, the Minister announced that the Government will accept up to 4,000 persons into Ireland overall under Resettlement & Relocation Programmes.”