Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

In regard to deportation orders, the Garda National Immigration Bureau enforces these orders and has carriage of this matter and seeks to apprehend these individuals. Flights out of the State are arranged at regular intervals. Persons are apprehended for the purposes of deportation and they are deported. That is how deportation arrangements take place. The Deputy will appreciate that in a free society, such as ours, the resources available to the Department for the enforcement of deportation orders are not limitless. We do not have a compulsory system of registration, for example, of our identification. We do not have the kind of intrusive powers available to the Garda Síochána that would permit it in all cases to instantaneously enforce a deportation order. Likewise our powers of detention in this area are not as extensive as those in other jurisdictions. That said, the Garda National Immigration Bureau is a dedicated part of the force that monitors this issue, monitors trends and movements and keeps a close eye on those who are a threat to our security, public order or who may commit offences. It certainly maintains close surveillance on all these matters and arranges for deportations from time totime.

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