Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 515: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of deportation orders which have been issued by his Department in each of the past five years; the number of such orders which have been enforced by the Garda in each year concerned; the number of such orders where the person has failed to make contact with the State authorities or where such an order has not been enforced in the respective years; the corresponding figures for asylum applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23646/07]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 516: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for temporary leave to remain which have been concluded in each of the past 12 months; the respective number of same which have been successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23647/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together.

In determining whether to make a deportation order or grant temporary leave to remain in the State, I must have regard to the eleven factors set out in Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act, 1999, as amended, and Section 5 (Prohibition of Refoulement) of the Refugee Act, 1996, as amended. Temporary leave to remain is considered in every case regardless of whether representations are made by, or on behalf of, the persons concerned. Each case is considered in the context of its own individual circumstances and merits; and statistics are not maintained as to the duration of the consideration process in respect of each application, as no two applications are the same.

Statistics are not maintained either in a way which distinguishes between those who have made an application for leave to remain and those who have not. The total number of applications awaiting a decision for temporary Leave to Remain is 11,068 of which 10,457 is the number of asylum cases which entered the Leave to Remain process with these cases being at different stages of processing. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that many of those who failed the asylum process, and who did not opt to return voluntarily or consent to deportation, nonetheless left the State before a decision to deport or grant leave to remain was made. It is reasonable to presume that many of those listed as awaiting a decision on Leave to Remain have in fact left the jurisdiction.

In relation to persons evading deportation, the number of such persons on the records of the Garda National Immigration Bureau is 5,630. While the whereabouts of these persons is unknown, it is believed that a large number of them have already left the State. The figures in the table refer to persons who were considered for deportation but were instead granted temporary leave to remain in the State for an initial period of one year. The majority of these would have been persons who were refused refugee status in the State.