Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that he believes the proposed site for the "super prison" in Thornton Hall should be used for asylum seeker accommodation.
It comes as Taoiseach Simon Harris said that the focus on accommodation for asylum seekers is "bizarre". He made the comment as 70 tents were pitched at the Grand Canal and 1,780 asylum seekers are unaccommodated.
It is now understood that the Thornton Hall site in north Dublin is being looked at to accommodate military-style tents for asylum seekers. It is understood that the site could become available for use in a matter of weeks.
The creation of a "super prison" on this site has been in the pipeline for nearly two decades. It was purchased by the State in 2005 for €30million.
The Tánaiste confirmed on Thursday that the site is being looked at.
Mr Martin said: "I believe Thornton Hall should be used and that is under consideration. It has been on and off.
"I understand there's work underway between the Department of Children, Department of Justice and other departments in that respect.
"That’s the position there. We’re exhausting every possible opportunity that exists in terms of utilisation of sites that are owned by the State and that can be made available for utilisation by the State in respect of the unprecedented numbers who have arrived into the country."
Meanwhile in Kildare, the Taoiseach criticised the ongoing focus on accommodation when migration is being discussed.
Mr Harris said: "It’s bizarre that the only part that we want to discuss is accommodation.
"We also have to discuss why there are so many more people coming to our country, and discuss that in the round.
"Migration is a good thing by the way, our economy benefits, our country benefits, our society benefits.
"But we’ve had an immigration system that has been used to processing maybe 3,000 to 3,500 people a year, to one that is now used to seeing over 20,000 people."
Earlier, Mr Harris was asked about the 70 tents that had been pitched along the Grand Canal.
He said that the Government needs to "identify very quickly some State-owned land where we can safely provide tented accommodation with sanitation and that work is underway".
Asked about Thornton Hall in Kildare, Mr Harris said that it was "logical" but that it was up to the Department of Integration to come forward with proposals.
A spokesperson for the Department of Integration confirmed that as of the implementation of a new long-term accommodation strategy, a "portion of land at the Thornton Hall site has now been identified for potential utilisation for accommodation for International Protection applicants".
They added: "A request from the Department of Children Equality Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) was made to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for consideration of the allocation of a portion of the Thornton Hall site.
"In the immediate term, the plan is to use an area of this site for emergency type accommodation, and DCEDIY is closely engaged with DOJ and the Irish Prison Service to bring that accommodation onstream in the near future."
