The Taoiseach defends the Government’s response to the housing shortage for refugees

But he rejected the suggestion that the increase in the number of refugees arriving in the country was predicted months ago.

It turned out that more than 30 Ukrainian refugees on Friday they were left homeless.

This happened after the government admitted on Thursday that it cannot rule out that there will be no Ukrainian refugees be on the street due to lack of housing.

Speaking ahead of a Cairde Fáil dinner in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Martin said the suggestion that the Government should have foreseen the need for accommodation was not a “fair” argument.

“Bigger numbers were not expected,” he said.

“Certainly, it was not before the summer that they were expected to be at a higher level than they are now.

“And the state did not delay. I would say that the state reacted extremely quickly to the wartime situation, the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War.

“We’ve seen the movement of over six million people and Ireland as a percentage of the population has responded in what I think is an extraordinary way, an unprecedented way in terms of the numbers that we’ve already accommodated.”

He added: “Just because someone said there could be 200,000 doesn’t mean you’re going to magically have 200,000 seats overnight.”

The Citywest transit hub handling the new arrivals is at capacity. Some are known to have slept at Dublin Airport overnight.

Since the beginning of the war in February, up to 55,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the country.

Mr Martin said the government was “urgently” looking for more accommodation, admitting it was “under pressure”.

Asked if he knew the exact number of refugees who had been told there was no accommodation, Mr Martin said: “Thirty-three is the number I have now and I believe some have returned to the airport.”

The Fianna Fail leader added that the government would do everything possible to “speed things up” to take in the growing number of refugees.

Earlier, junior minister Martin Hayden said it was “disappointing” that refugees were without housing, adding that the government wanted to be in the wrong place.

The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth confirmed to the PA news agency on Saturday that 33 refugees, all single men, were told on Friday that there was no accommodation for them.

A spokesman said: “Thirty-three people, all single men, were informed yesterday that accommodation was not available and asked to provide contact details when it became available.”

The Citywest transit hub handling the new arrivals is at capacity. Some are known to have slept at Dublin Airport overnight.