The Department of Housing needs to take a 'much more front and centre role' in housing refugees, the director of the Jesuit Refugee Service has said.

Eugene Quinn was speaking as up to 750 people are be moved on to the site of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Co Laois in tents.

The Department of Integration has signed a six-week contract for use of a site from September 5th.

Mr Quinn told Newstalk Breakfast tents are unacceptable accommodation for people fleeing conflict.

"There's been a struggle for the Department of Children, who are responsible for accommodation, to acquire that accommodation," he said.

"We find a year and a half into the crisis that we're still putting people in tents.

"This is something that we feel is not appropriate for people fleeing war or conflict.

"It doesn't meet their basic needs and it doesn't allow them to live with basic dignity."

Mr Quinn said we should be looking at other options.

"One of the things is around rapid builds on State land; this has been put forward, I think it was four months ago the Government made an announcement about it," he said.

"I think it was over a year ago since the first mooting of modular homes.

"We don't seem to have found a way of bringing, quickly, accommodation on stream even though this reality is not just an experience of Ireland but all over Europe".

An aerial view of the Electric Picnic festival site at Stradbally, County Laois in August 2023. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Quinn said there needs to be more urgency on the issue.

"We have to acknowledge that it is a very challenging environment," he said.

"Maybe it's a recognition of slowness to recognise the situation that we're in and to maybe move to a kind of emergency basis and to prioritise this.

"One of the concerns is that there hasn't been a whole of Government responsibility; it's been largely left to [the Department of] Children.

"Maybe the Department of Housing needs to take a much more front and centre role on it."

Mr Quinn said the "significant housing need for our own people" should be moved forward in tandem.

"We need to increase housing supply quicker, and I think we need to see delivery - not just promises.

"People are there for six weeks, what's going to happen at the end of the six weeks?" he added.

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Main image: Rows of tents are seen during day three of the 2023 Electric Picnic in Co Laois. Picture by Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie