Enda Kenny has said that ISIS want to blow up historical Irish sites such as Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel.
The Taoiseach made the comments as he spoke about the horror that the Syrian refugees are fleeing from.
Thousands of people are making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea in the hope of finding asylum in Europe.
Governments across Europe have come under increasing pressure to do more to help the refugees after images of the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on the beach forced Europeans to focus on the humanity of the situation rather than worry about immigration levels.
It has reminded people of the terror that ISIS have brought to Syria and why the refugees are fleeing in the first place.
Last month ISIS destroyed the 2000-year-old temple of Bel in Palmyra and the Taoiseach believes they want to destroy historical Irish sites as well.
Mr Kenny said: “Look at what’s happened in Syria with the growth of ISIS. Purely from the historical point of view, they want to blow up Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel, they want children shooting others in the head – this is horrendous.”
The Irish government is under pressure from the media to do more to help the refugees with some commentators saying that Ireland would need to take in 40,000 refugees to proportionally match Germany.
Others have said that the number of refugees Ireland has promised to take is ‘pathetic’ or ‘shameful’.
Mr Kenny told the media that Ireland needs to do everything it can to help the refugees. He said: “When people say ‘how many are you going to take in?’ I want to see the European model here first of all.
“Why do they have to cross the sea at all, if you are in a position to assess if they are eligible for relocation or asylum status. Don’t be just fixated on a number, Ireland will do what it can.”
