Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons in respect of whom deportation orders have been signed but who have not yet been deported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10764/05]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 712: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of deportation orders issued since June 2002; the number of deportations carried out; the number of deportation orders which have failed to be executed; and the number of deportations pending. [10517/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 712 together.

A total of 11,270 deportation orders have been made under the Immigration Act 1999 since its commencement in November 1999. Of these, 2,268 deportation orders have been effected to date — 1,546 in the period 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2005 — and approximately 100 cases are with the Garda national immigration bureau for arrangements to be made for their removal from the State. The majority of these have been carried out using scheduled commercial flights on numerous dates throughout the period in question.

The balance of the orders have not been effected for various reasons. Approximately 6,000 persons are evading deportation. It is not known how many of these are still in the State but it is believed by the Garda national immigration bureau that a large number of these have already left of their own accord.

The remaining orders have not been effected because, variously: they have been revoked or have not been acted upon because of changed personal or legal circumstances, for example, the persons may have married an Irish national; they may have acquired residency rights by virtue of being a parent of an Irish born child; they may have been nationals of the ten states which joined the EU in May 2004; they may have initiated judicial review proceedings challenging the deportation orders; or the return of the persons concerned may have to be negotiated with their country of origin.