Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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There is huge public shock and anger regarding the reported sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl on the grounds of the Citywest international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre here in Dublin. A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with the assault. An Garda Síochána is to be commended for its work in making this arrest. Of course, our first concern is for the welfare of this young child. Tusla has confirmed that the child was in its care. This vulnerable ten-year-old girl went missing from Tusla's care while on a supervised trip to Dublin city centre. She was then reported missing to An Garda Síochána. She remained missing overnight, and she was then reportedly sexually assaulted.

How could a ten-year-old in the care of Tusla go missing on a supervised trip? There is a disturbing pattern of children in the care of the State and of this agency being failed catastrophically. We think of six-year-old Kyran Durnin, missing and presumed dead, three-year-old Daniel Aruebose, whose skeletal remains were found in Donabate last month, and, of course, 17-year-old Vadym Davydenko, who was stabbed to death at a Tusla care facility in north Dublin only last week. It really begs the question: what on earth is going on with Tusla? Why is this happening again and again? How is it that in our small country so many children can go missing?

Our thoughts today are with this ten-year-old girl, who has been so failed and violated, and with her family. Our thoughts are with all of the children that I have mentioned and with their families, who have experienced imaginable loss hurt and trauma.

It is also reported that the man now charged with this assault was subject to a deportation order issued in March of this year. How is it that a person issued with a deportation order remains in the country six months later? People are now asking how this was allowed to happen, why the order was not enforced and whether the authorities knew that he was still in the State. This violent incident deeply unnerves the entire community, in particular the local community in Saggart and the surrounding areas whose pleas for additional resources, including Garda resources, have been ignored. They now feel very betrayed and very badly let down.

Tá imní ollmhór ann i measc an phobail tar éis ionsaí gnéasach líomhnaithe ar chailín deich mbliana d'aois ag ionad IPAS i Citywest. Tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha le freagairt anois ag Tusla agus ag an Rialtas. The safety and protection of our children must be the first and highest concern for all of us in this House. Children in the care of the State are the most vulnerable of all and yet they have been failed far too often with nobody held to account. This demands an immediate and strong response from Government. It is important the Taoiseach provides as much information as he can today without, of course, compromising the legal process. What action will be taken to hold Tusla to account for this ten-year-old child going missing from its care? Can he explain to people how the alleged perpetrator is still here six months after being issued with a deportation order?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The events of last evening are extremely serious and very grave. As the Deputy quite rightly said, our thoughts are about the well-being and welfare of the child involved and with the entire family. It is the fundamental duty of the State to protect the children of the State. Irrespective of the complexity, acuity or severity of any particular case, that duty has to be fulfilled and on this occasion, that duty was not fulfilled. This case will be referred to the national review panel. Legislation will be introduced to put that review panel on a statutory basis but the more fundamental point is that a review will take place. The Minister for children has asked for an interim report - certainly within six weeks.

I have to be careful as there is a live criminal case and a person has been arrested in respect of the alleged sexual assault of this ten-year-old girl, so I do not want to say anything that in any way compromises the conduct or progressing of that case but the Minister for justice has asked his Secretary General and the Department for a full report in respect of the management of the application for asylum case since the person first arrived in the country. There are issues there that certainly need review more generally.

I acknowledge the concern, anger and worry of many people throughout the country at what has transpired or alleged to have transpired here. The concerns are legitimate. The concerns of people generally across the country and within the specific location are genuine and I acknowledge that. We will put the full rigours of the State behind this case in all facets and all respects.

I do not want to conflate this with other cases. I do not think that is fair. The other cases are equally very difficult and grave. This has nothing at all to do with the case last evening but the Deputy mentioned last week in north Dublin. The number of unaccompanied minors presenting is increasing at a very rapid level. Those young people were not in the care of Tusla. They were being provided with housing - essentially emergency accommodation.

That is an important context for that case, so we should not conflate all the cases. There are different backgrounds to each case.

The State has a fundamental right to protect the well-being of a ten-year-old child. I would like the review to look at all aspects of the care of the child in question and to bring forward recommendations, because we need to challenge existing restrictions or potential restraints on care agencies in terms of looking after young children. This is a particularly complex area. It will be fully reviewed. The national review panel is independent of Tusla, which is important. We need an interim report as quickly as possible.

Admhaím go bhfuil imní faoi leith ar dhaoine agus pobal na tíre faoin méid atá tar éis tarlú. Táimid chun gach aon chóras tacaíochta a thabhairt don leanbh atá i gceist agus do chlann an linbh agus, mar aon leis sin, tuarascáil a fháil ó na hAirí agus na Ranna speisialta.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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For any parent or anyone caring for a child, one of the worst imaginable nightmares is that the child would go missing or be assaulted, particularly in this way. As the Taoiseach said, it is not surprising at all that this case has caused profound anger and unease. I appreciate that he recognises that there has been a failure of the system in this case. That is a necessary acknowledgement. However, a disturbing pattern has emerged. This requires more than a simple referral to a panel. There has to be more action, because the most unnerving thing is that this happens to children in the care of, in accommodation provided by or who are known to Tusla and the State and again and again we hear these unimaginable tales.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The second thing is this. There has to be confidence in the system of application for asylum and in our immigration system.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That is a different question. Thank you, Deputy.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Any question mark around a person-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----overstaying in the State when a deportation order has been made is, again, deeply unnerving-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up, Deputy. The Taoiseach will respond.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----and deeply unhelpful and has to be addressed by the Government.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy is way over time.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree that there needs to be a specific review of this case, but we are not ruling out a wider review of all aspects of how we protect children. We use language like "children in care". That is used in a formal legal sense where a child is in care. However, this child was not necessarily in statutory care because there is an age limit in terms of that. These are important points because the Act is clear in the context of the age at which a child can be formally put into care. All these issues need to be reviewed. They are complex and important, and the legislation governing this area needs to be reviewed as well. I do not want to pre-empt anything here because a review is going to take place. However, my initial sense is that the agencies and authorities need maximum flexibility within the legal framework to do the right thing, namely what is right for a child at a given time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Clearly, there has been failure of the State's obligation to protect this child.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The execution of a deportation order very much depends on the country involved, the potential country involved or the country alleged to be involved, that is, the country of origin, being in a position to receive a person. There can be a variety of reasons as to why that is not possible.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Our thoughts are with the young ten-year-old girl in the care of Tusla who has been the subject of an assault. Our thoughts are also with the family of young Vadym Davydenko who was killed last week in Dublin. I am conscious that criminal proceedings are under way in respect of both incidents. I commend the Garda and wish it well with its investigations. I do not propose to say any more about either case at this point.

The Irish Timesreports today that ordinary festive staples will cost 20% more this Christmas than they did last year. The cost of groceries is increasing at roughly three times the headline rate of price inflation, a shocking development for working families. This is having a severe impact on working families, who are hard-pressed and who got so little relief in the recent budget. These are families who have had the small support of one-off payments taken off them this year while their housing costs and fuel bills are going up and they are struggling to make ends meet. It is not just the Christmas turkey that will cost more this year. Rents are 7% higher now than they were a year ago. More than 300,000 households are in arrears on their electricity bills - bills that continue to rise as temperatures drop. These factors are conspiring to force tens of thousands of families across the country to make impossible choices, like the choice between heating and eating.

The Government's Finance Bill will be debated this afternoon. It will give effect to the budget, a budget that we in Labour have characterised as being for burger barons and big builders. Due to the Government's failure to index tax bands in this budget, those earning €50,000 per year can expect to pay an additional €1,000 a year in tax. They will have nothing to show for that in terms of investment in basic infrastructure, public services, housing or public goods, and they are getting hammered at the tills. I heard from a woman in my own community yesterday. She has two master’s degrees and works at what could be described as a "good job", but she is renting and pays a whopping rent for her home. She cannot afford to cover her household or grocery bills. She told me it makes her feel ashamed.

That is the legacy of the Government’s budget and financial policies. People around the country are feeling ashamed because they cannot stay afloat financially due to lack of supports from the State. These are the people who are often referred to in a cliché as "the squeezed middle". What does the Taoiseach propose to do for hard-working families? He repeatedly answers my questions on the cost-of-living crisis by mentioning the terrible war in Ukraine, which, of course, is a factor, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and market forces, but corporate greed is also an issue. I ask that the Taoiseach take on my colleague, Deputy Ged Nash’s excessive prices Bill, which the Government supported on Second Stage. It would force supermarket giants to publish their profits and bring about price transparency, thereby driving down the price of a weekly shop. The Taoiseach could also direct the new Agri-Food Regulator to investigate why food prices are getting so high. These are constructive steps that we in Labour are proposing. Will the Taoiseach adopt these steps to cut the cost of living for families?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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May I first of all say that I think the CSO should be the standard statistical body that we should adhere to for any analysis and comment, and pin those on it, because there are all sorts of groups coming forward every now and again with indeterminate statistics? There is no question but that inflation has been a very significant issue over the last number of years. In fact, it was close to 10% following the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It has eased considerably since then but, of course, prices are at that elevated level. Real wages are now increasing by about 3.5%, if we take out inflation. That said, food prices are a significant pressure on many families.

However, the Government has responded. We have put in permanent measures that have eased the cost of living for many families. The free schoolbooks scheme, for example, was a very significant measure that we took, and it is permanent. Free hot school meals are very significant. Some 26% of families now benefit from the fuel allowance, which is a very significant enhancement. We targeted supports to the child support payment. For those over 12 years of age, it went up by €16, and by €8 for those under 12. That helps many lower-income families but many middle-class households with children will also benefit. The working family payment threshold increased by €60 a week, which allows more families to qualify and get more support. There was an expansion of the back-to-school clothing and footwear payment to include younger children of two and three years old. Of course, we have the pension auto-enrolment scheme, which is a very significant scheme that will benefit well over 700,000 workers in time.

These are more permanent, sustainable measures that will improve working people's lives and quality of life into the future. We targeted our resources in this budget. We also extended the rent tax credit, which has been increased over recent years. We have extended the reduction in the VAT rate on electricity and kept it at 9% for the next number of years.

We will continue to do what we can in terms of supporting families. The budget is not as the Deputy has described. That is just a cheap headline grabber. The budget is very significant in terms of the public expenditure and the increases in services for disability, and for education in terms of capitation grants, with €50 for primary schools. These are very significant interventions. One has to make choices in the budget. I recall the Labour Party consistently criticising the Government's tax packages over the past five years and now when there is not a tax package on personal income, it turns around, reverses and criticises us for not including one.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Indexation.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We decided to invest in capital in terms of more roads, more schools, more public transport and better rail services. That is what we are doing right across the board. In terms of disability and child poverty measures, we have significantly enhanced the allocation to those respective areas.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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With respect, of course we welcome sustainable measures that will cut costs for families and households. However, let us be clear. The Government's recent budget represented a drop in the ocean at best for families that are hard pressed and cannot make ends meet. It is not just the Labour Party; it is people around the country who are dismayed at the vast cost of the VAT cut that the Government chose to implement for hospitality and hairdressers at the expense of doing other things like indexing tax rates.

Let us return to the constructive solutions we in Labour are proposing. The Agri-Food Regulator is the regulator. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, has said it is the appropriate public body to investigate extortionate grocery prices. My colleague, Deputy Nash, asked the Minister for agriculture when he would instruct the regulator to launch an investigation. That was nearly two months ago. Enabling the authority to crack down on high prices would take nothing more than a statutory instrument from the Minister, but nothing has happened. Those are the kinds of constructive steps that the Government could be taking now to show households that are struggling that it is going to offer them something and is seeking to crackdown on rising grocery prices and tackling corporate greed. That is simply what we are looking for the Government to do.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We need to get prices down sustainably over the next number of years. That is the key target. Some of the Opposition's proposals would have added 2% to the inflation rate, which would have exacerbated the problem for many families out there. The International Monetary Fund, IMF, is forecasting that among the euro area, Ireland will have the third lowest inflation rate between 2025 and 2026 at 1.7%. We did not want to do anything. For example, if one wanted universal energy credits, one would bump up inflation and consistently exacerbate the problem. We cannot keep on doing once-off packages forever. I am sure the Deputy would acknowledge that.

What we wanted to do was to improve services, particularly in disability, which has a 20% increase in the allocation. That is important. We have an awful lot more to do there in terms of respite places, residential places and so on. It is the same in special education where we need more resources for more teachers, more special needs assistants and more classes for next September onwards. These are very important investments and allocations of resources. What the Deputy said about the hospitality this year is about €250 million. That would not index anything, and the Deputy knows that. Indexation would be well over a billion-----

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I want to send my solidarity with the girl who apparently was sexual assaulted and to her family. I hope she gets the care as well.

I wish to ask the Taoiseach something related to gender-based violence. There was a report by Village magazine and The Ditch yesterday that a garda, who was corrupt and violent towards his wife and another woman, was awarded a medal of bravery from An Garda Síochána in 2021. I do not know why this was not widely reported at the time but it is being reported now. How is it that a disgraced garda who had to resign from the force was brought back for a Scott medal of bravery - the highest medal that one can get? How seriously is gender-based violence taken when a garda - the State had to apologise to his wife for the abuse she suffered - is brought back for such an award? Is it acceptable that Government Ministers presenting such awards would not look into the background of such people, particularly the Minister for justice who is responsible for the gardaí, law and gender-based violence?

Noel McMahon was a detective. The Morris tribunal found that he planted hoax bombs and ammunition across the north west of Ireland in the 1990s to make himself look good for catching the IRA.

He bought illicit drugs and planted them in a nightclub in Donegal, and then organised Garda raids. The nightclub owner went to jail because of this. Let us not forget that. It was a miscarriage of justice. The man later got a certificate.

On top of this, the detective assaulted two women that we know of. His own wife was a victim of years of abuse. He used his official Garda firearm to point to her head and say he was going to blow her brains out. That is what she testified later on at the tribunal. Noel McMahon used his firearm against his wife and he also faked a court safety order against her. Her children were placed into care, Taoiseach. She lost custody of her children because of the actions of this man. Can the Taoiseach imagine the damage that was done to them and to her? Lawyers on behalf of the State, on behalf of the Minister for Justice, in 2018 had to issue a State apology to the woman and damages as well.

How does a garda, a bent copper by anyone's standards, a crooked cop, end up getting a Scott medal of bravery only three years after such a State apology? In 2021, Deputy Micheál Martin was Taoiseach. I do not know if he was aware of this award. His acting Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys, presented the award and called his acts heroic, absolutely heroic. Should a Minister for Justice not do some due diligence? Will the Taoiseach revoke the award now?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First of all, I appreciate the Deputy raising what is a serious issue, without question. I read part of that report yesterday. I cannot say I was aware of that as Taoiseach back then but there was a lot happening. The Deputy has just asked me right now. Having looked at the report yesterday, obviously the Garda must have put this individual forward for the Scott medal of bravery in respect of the kidnapping of Don Tidey, which, as the Deputy knows, resulted in the murder of Private Kelly and a Garda recruit who was just a recruit from Templemore, Garda Sheehan. They were murdered by the Provisional IRA. In fact, the murderers were subsequently lauded too by that organisation and by their political supporters, which does not excuse what happened here but that should also sometimes get mentioned in reference. We owe a tribute to Tommy Conlon and Ronan McGreevy who wrote a very honest book about the kidnapping of Don Tidey and the brutal murder of a garda and an Army person.

That said, I too would question. I do not want to talk about an individual who is not in the House, but there are factors that the Deputy has articulated in respect of the Morris tribunal, which we are all very familiar with. That tribunal was the catalyst for a lot of change within An Garda Síochána. Some appalling acts were uncovered by the Morris tribunal, no question about that, and the conclusions were very stark and grave indeed. So, in the context of that, yes, I think it is a fair question to ask. That is a matter that happened quite a number of years ago. I think it has surfaced now because of the presidential election, if we are all honest. It was written in such a way to target an officeholder at the time. There are nonetheless legitimate questions. I would accept that. Obviously, a person is dealt with in terms of either a tribunal or subsequent actions to a tribunal, but then in relation to other acts of bravery that a person may have committed separate altogether from the misdeeds that the person may have committed, is the person entitled to that award? Particularly in the context of domestic violence and the horrific nature of the violence in this case, I think that is a very fair point to raise. I certainly would have issues with that myself as well.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Gardaí who are corrupt, who pervert the course of justice over and over and over again, should not be awarded a medal of bravery for one act.

There was no need. He could have been excluded from the award and the other gardaí could have been presented with their awards. What happened to zero tolerance for gender-based violence when the gardaí who are meant to deal with it are guilty of it themselves? There is a high rate, unfortunately, of intimate partner violence among the police and armies internationally. That is a statistic. Apparently, there have been 60 cases involving sexual misconduct in the last three years in An Garda Síochána. Will the Taoiseach call in the Garda Commissioner? I know it was the former Garda Commissioner who presented this but will the Taoiseach consider revoking this award and sending a message to gardaí and to people in general that violence against women is not acceptable? This garda should not have got an award. He should be in jail. Why is he not in jail? Do no rules apply to gardaí who commit crime?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am not justifying what happened. I have made that clear. Certainly, in her time in government, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, did a lot of work as Minister for Justice in respect of domestic violence and gender-based violence. We now have the establishment of Cuan and the new strategy, which I strongly supported as chair of an interdepartmental Cabinet subcommittee, as Taoiseach at the time. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is continuing that and is bringing in further measures and allocating further resources to this area, in terms of a zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence. We do not prosecute in this House. We have a separation of powers in respect of the criminal justice system. It is not within my powers to revoke particular awards but certainly it is a matter on which we will reflect. I am not in a position to commit to any line of action in respect of this. I think it is a fair matter to raise. There has to be zero tolerance of domestic violence and gender-based violence more generally.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I think everyone recognises that we need people coming into this country through the visa system. We need doctors, nurses, people in hospitality and all different types of workers. They are welcome in this country. However, from what we have read last night, we need to have a conversation about illegal immigration. Most politicians are afraid at the moment, as are ordinary people. When you go around the country and talk to people, be it an elderly person or a couple here and there, one to one, they outline the problems they see but they all ask what they can say because they will be called a racist if they open their mouths. Last night, or this morning, what we read in the newspaper is horrendous. I will not go into that in detail. The one question I ask is this. If somebody, regardless of who that person is, is six years in the country, a deportation order was issued six months ago and the State is still paying for their accommodation, there is something seriously wrong. Unfortunately, over the last year or 18 months, we have seen a huge upsurge in knife crime in this country and a huge upsurge in weapons being wielded that we have never seen in this country. We have seen some cultures treating women as second-class citizens, which is not acceptable.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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A Cheann Comhairle, this is absolutely disgraceful.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputies-----

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Here we go.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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The Deputy is such a notorious feminist himself.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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In the whole immigration process, the Government said it would process an applicant within six months. That has not happened. It is going on for four, five and six years. When will that be resolved? Our system is broken at the moment. The Government has admitted that we have an influx of youngsters and accommodation is very scarce. In Poland, Donald Tusk has decided, because the country has had an influx and could not cope with it, to get a suspension, with the blessing of Europe, under the migration pact. With the pressure on our system at the moment, will the Taoiseach consider that? Will he consider having a full debate in the House without people being put into corners, whether they are right-wing, left-wing or whatever? That needs to happen. The fear of talking about this has to be done away with. We, as representatives of people right around the country, have to say what we are hearing on the ground.

Will the Taoiseach do the things I ask?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in a responsible and fair way. I acknowledge that. People are worried and anxious. The Deputy made a fair point at the outset that he is not criticising migration generally or the fact that we now have a country and society that have evolved, with many people of different ethnic origins living in the State who are as Irish as sure as the next man is. We need proper tolerance and equality on that front. As the Deputy correctly said, in our hospitals, our healthcare facilities and our technology companies, the fact that we have absorbed and can draw on a lot of human capital has been a very important ingredient in societal and economic development. That needs to be acknowledged.

The process of seeking asylum in this country has come under huge pressure in recent years. Particularly post the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers increased dramatically. Side by side with that, there was the war in Ukraine, which caused the displacement of about 12 million Ukrainians. There is also the weaponisation of migration by Russia. The Deputy instanced Poland. On the borders of Lithuania, Latvia and so on and right across Poland, Russia is weaponising migration, sending migrants into those countries as part of its wider war effort.

To get back to Ireland specifically, I agree we need a faster and firm procedure in dealing with those seeking asylum. The majority - I think 60% or 70% - are adjudged to be economic migrants as opposed to seeking refuge if some of the outcomes of the process are taken into account. The International Protection Office is processing much faster and the accelerated cases are within the six months. Yes, the appeal system can take a bit longer, but the Minister is working with a set of proposals to speed up the appeal process. About 3,500 deportation orders were signed this year, compared with about 2,400 last year. Of those, about 1,600 have been confirmed as having left the country, either through voluntary departure or through deportation flights and other mechanisms. Overall, I think the number seeking asylum is down this year by about 30%, maybe.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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It is 38%.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sorry, it is about 38%. There can be different factors responsible for that. We need fast, firm procedures in managing the migration issue. That has to be consistent and sustained. This Government took the decision to bring all this back within the Department of justice, which was the correct decision, in my view, and progress has been seen in that respect. I agree that there would be no harm at all in having a proactive debate on these matters and that we should do so.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I have had a few conversations with the Minister for justice and I acknowledge that he is trying to make changes. The reality, however, is that it is neither good for the person looking for asylum or good for the State if something is dragging on for six years. Those are the facts of the matter. Two years ago, I chased up on the question of how somebody is identified and we were told by the Garda at the time that the process was fool-proof. It has since been proved not to be fool-proof. We need to make sure, in relation to identification, that we know who is coming into the country. I welcome what the Taoiseach has said. We need a debate here. We need to tighten up and bring in new legislation in order that this does not drag on for four, five or six years. Accommodation-wise, we will not be able to sort it and, on top of that, as a country, we will not be able to afford the cost of it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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All those seeking asylum are fingerprinted when they come into the country under the Eurodac system. In 2024, 67% of completed appeals were rejected, and so far in 2025, more than 80% of applications have been rejected at first instance.

I accept the Deputy's point if people are here. It is neither fair to the person nor to the country if this system is allowed to drag out for years and years. The focus in the past number of years has been on tightening up and speeding up the process itself.

We have more than doubled the number of deportation orders signed over the same period last year. The specifics are that 3,583 orders have been signed in 2025 compared to 1,792 this time last year. That is what it says on the note I have but I thought it was a higher figure. There has been about a 40% reduction in the numbers of people arriving here claiming asylum. However, there are issues we need to tighten up on.