Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for an Independent TD to withdraw remarks he made about African migrants.
Claims that Galway West TD Noel Grealish made controversial comments about asylum seekers emerged earlier this week.
And now in a video from the public meeting, Mr Grealish can be heard telling hundreds of people that African migrants arriving into Ireland were "economic migrants" who "sponge" off the system.
He was addressing the crowd who gathered in Oughterard, Co Galway in relation to proposed plans to locate a direct provision centre in a nearby disused hotel.
Responding to the claims, Mr Varadkar said: "I haven't heard those comments, I haven't heard the audio myself but if what's said is true I think he needs to withdraw those remarks and certainly issue a statement to clarify what he said.
"We don't have a formal arrangement with Noel Grealish in the Dail.
"He is an independent, very often votes with the Government, sometimes doesn't."
What did Noel Grealish say?
The full transcript of Mr Grealish's speech leading up to the controversial comments, taken from a video of the meeting posted online, is below.
"Now I have worked with Galway County Council with one or two Syrian families.
"These were genuine refugees that were persecuted in their homeland because they were Christian by ISIS.
"They were housed around Galway. They were put into houses, they were accepted by communities.
"But if you watch the news and you listen, and even our Taoiseach three weeks ago said he'd take in an extra 200, eh what do you call, migrants from Africa - these are economic migrants.
"These are people that are coming over here from Africa to... to sponge off the system here in Ireland.
"I know people... all over the county that I've tried help get housing for, for seven, eight, nine, 10 years.
"Let the minister know the fear - and it is the fear factor - that this is going to bring on this village, because we don't know, we don't know these people coming in.
"I can guarantee you it's not the persecuted Christians and Syrians coming here, it's the people, the economic refugees that's coming in from Africa, that's trying to get across the Mediterranean and ended up in Europe and ended up here in Ireland and ended up in Oughterard, where you don't have the schools, you don't have the doctors.
"A big city, a major city can absorb 300 refugees but not a small town like Oughterard.
"I'll say one thing to everybody in this room here tonight - work together, stick together and we will work with you.
"And I want the politicians here to give that same commitment here tonight that we will work to ensure that this does not happen and to destroy the fabric of Oughterard. Thank you."
