The Immigrant council of Ireland has said nine refugees found in a container in Wexford over the weekend should be treated with humanity by the Irish authorities.

The nine adult men are believed to be Kurdish and were found at around 3.30pm last Friday afternoon in New Ross.

A spokesperson for the council says the discovery is the direct result of a political failure to deal with the crises.

Gerry O'Connor said we needed to do much more to help people fleeing awful situations in their home countries

"The next Irish Government must re-start the Irish naval operation in the Mediterranean, which last year saved 8,000 lives," he said.

"We need a very clear and efficient process by which those people in danger can be given the opportunity of shelter and to re-start their lives in Ireland.

"The fact that people are being forced into containers and into the backs of trucks is a damning indictment of the European Union…These people have literally crossed Europe to make it to Ireland.

"We need to see a proper plan put in place, so those refugees arriving in Ireland are fully integrated into the communities where they live."