John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is usual that Irish citizens being deported from the United States are being held in detention centres for periods up to three months at a time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24313/04]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I share the Deputy's concern regarding the length of time taken to process deportations from the US. While from experience it is not possible to state precisely how long an individual process will take, with deportation times varying depending on the circumstances of each individual's case, the three most recent cases our missions in the US dealt with each took one to two months to complete.

The department of homeland security has indicated that the delays relate to the logistical and administrative procedures involved in deporting an individual from the US, including on occasion the transfer of an individual to an immigration detention centre, the scheduling of flights, the provision of a ten-day notification procedure to the US embassy in the receiving country, and the provision of an escort by immigration officials if required.

I assure the Deputy that, as part of the consular assistance provided to Irish citizens in the US facing deportation, the embassy and our consulates closely monitor the process and liaise with the appropriate US authorities, who are aware of our concerns. The Deputy can be assured that we will continue to press for the process to be speeded up.