Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his policy in relation to deportation of non-Irish nationals who under Section 3(2)([i]a[/i]) of the Immigration Act 1999, have served terms of imprisonment imposed on them by a court of this State; the details of those so deported to date following deportation orders made pursuant to section 3(1) of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7911/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to refer the Deputy to the Reply given by me to his Dáil Question No. 514 of Tuesday 18 December 2007 and to the undertaking given by me at that time to provide the information requested. In the intervening time period, a cross referencing operation was undertaken which matched the data held by my Department with those records held by the Irish Prison Service. As a result of this exercise, I am now in a position to provide the Deputy with the information he requested.

The number of all non-Irish citizens released from prison and subsequently deported during the period from 1 February 2007 until 30 November 2007, including their nationalities, is as follows:

My officials will undertake another cross referencing operation, matching data held by my Department with those records held by the Irish Prison Service in order to bring the statistics supplied up to the end of February 2008. I can assure the Deputy that the updated statistics will be conveyed to him at the earliest possible date.

My Department's policy — and indeed the accepted international practice — is that persons found not to have protection needs and no right to remain in the State, should be returned promptly to their home countries in order to protect the integrity of the asylum and immigration processes. To do otherwise would result in Ireland becoming a magnet for unfounded and abusive asylum claims, the consequence of which would be to undermine the immigration laws of the State and to make big demands on the Exchequer.