Hungary has slammed as "unacceptable" a European Union agreement to revise the bloc's rules on member states hosting asylum seekers and migrants.
"Brussels is abusing its power. They want to relocate migrants to Hungary with force. This is unacceptable, they want to forcefully turn Hungary into a migrant country," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs, quoting Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, wrote on Twitter.
Sweden, which holds the bloc's rotating presidency, announced the breakthrough yesterday after a fraught day of negotiations between EU interior ministers in Luxembourg.
The deal, which needed approval from a majority of countries, representing at least 65% of the bloc's population, came after years of wrangling over the divisive issues of asylum policy.
Separately, the Cabinet has agreed a proposal that Ireland makes a financial contribution of €1.5m, rather than taking in a group of 350 people seeking international protection as part of a European solidarity agreement.
It is understood the approach, jointly proposed yesterday by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman, is to take account of what is termed the "unforeseen increase" in people already coming from Ukraine, as well as international protection applicants.
Meanwhile, Head of the Dublin office for the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, has said that the deal agreed in Luxembourg is a "diplomatic coup".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Enda O’Neill said the pact overall is something that the UNHCR has welcomed as an opportunity to ensure a comprehensive and well managed approach to asylum in the EU.
"I think there's renewed optimism now that the pact may be agreed in full before there's a new EU Parliament summer next year.
"On the specifics, we welcome the progress that's being made on the pact. I think it's a diplomatic coup that they managed to reach agreement at the council yesterday.
"That's something that has been blocked for a very long time."
He said that the ability to pay not to take asylum seekers is a "a characteristic of the EU, that they find flexible approaches and take a pragmatic approach" to issues.
Mr O’Neill said the pact is a bit more complicated than just paying money, "there are important other elements including accelerated procedures at the border, there's also the facility for member states to capacity building, to send experts to countries to support them."
But, he said, "it's an aspect of concern if you don't have a large number of countries offering solidarity in the form of relocation. But experience to date has shown that the majority of countries in the EU are willing to support the frontline states."
In relation to reports that the Government is examining plans to accommodate up to 176 asylum seekers in tents on the site of the old Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, he said "it's far from ideal.
"But we have to be very honest that in the current scenario where people are on the street in a situation which is not safe, that it is much better for them to be in a secure location and we welcome the fact that since the incident in Sandwich Street less than a month ago, significant numbers of homeless asylum seekers have been housed."
He added that he "would hope that it's for the shortest length of time possible and that more appropriate medium-term accommodation can be sourced."
He said that the Department of Integration is very focused on the immediate needs of homeless asylum seekers.
"We also need to be at the same time planning for a much better reception system over the medium to long term and there is the accommodation working group that's been set up at the Department of the Taoiseach.
"Part of their plans is to trial rapid build modular type accommodation in Athlone in Knocknashee and I would hope that that trial is accelerated, that is successful and that that could be an approach that could replace the tents in the a short period."
Mr O’Neill said that the question of a cap on asylum seekers keeps recurring.
"It's a little bit bizarre when the European asylum system has been negotiated, that in Ireland we keep returning to that question, which is not practical or legally possible.
"So, I think we need to engage with our partners in the EU to agree a much better, more comprehensive system for asylum overall," he said.
