McGurk: We must tackle migrant crisis before it’s too late

Ireland should take no lectures from anyone when it comes to prioritising genuine refugees in coming years

Irish Navy vessel the Le Samuel Beckett is pictured rescuing a number of migrants from the sea 40 miles north east of Tripoli in October

I make no claims to prophecy, but I am certain that across 2016 the growing crisis of migration into the EU will rarely leave the front pages.

Last year, one million migrants came in – four times more than in 2014 – and what evidence is there to argue against a four-fold increase again this year to up to four million?

When you consider that the vast majority of last year’s million were ...