Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people who have been deported from the State over the past five years; if any of those who were deported, have returned to live here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4631/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The statistics requested by the Deputy in the first part of his Question are provided in the following table.

In relation to the second part of his Question, it should be noted that the effect of a deportation order is that the person concerned must leave the State and remain thereafter outside the State. That being the case, a person the subject of a deportation order wishing to return to the State legally, must apply for revocation of his/her deportation order.

Statistics are not maintained in such a way as to enable my Department to produce a reliable figure for enforced deportation orders subsequently revoked. To attempt to obtain this figure would involve a disproportionate use of my Department's resources. Indeed the persons concerned may, or may not, have returned to the State since the revocation of their deportation orders. Further it is the case that some persons the subject of enforced deportation orders have been known to re-enter the State illegally. This cohort of persons is subject to arrest and detention pursuant to Section 5 of the Immigration Act, 1999, as amended, should they come to the notice of the Gardaí.

It is the case that deportation orders have been made in respect of persons from EU accession States:- Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, who acceded on 1 May 2004 and Bulgaria and Romania who acceded on 1 January 2007. Said persons may exercise EU Treaty Rights and it is open to them to apply to have their deportation orders revoked.