Enda Kenny says remarks made by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump are "outrageous" and should be withdrawn.

The Taoiseach was responding to comments from Trump who says he wants to tackle illegal immigration because Mexico is “exporting drug dealers and rapists” to the United States – which he says has become a “dumping ground” for Mexican immigrants.

Trump has been widely criticised for the remarks made earlier this summer.

In the Dáil this evening Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett raised the comments, in the context of its relevance to the Irish in America, many of whom are undocumented.

The Taoiseach said the comments were hurtful to Irish emigrants, especially those in the United States.

“I regard the comments made by candidate Trump as being absolutely outrageous,” he said, “and I condemn them unreservedly in the context of immigrant people.”

Mr Kenny pointed out that many of those who left Ireland for the United States left because of deportation and economic circumstances.