Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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582. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the fact that the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service only lists seven deportations on 11 March 2015, when the remaining 118 persons were deported and what method of transport was used for same; if Frontex or the United Kingdom Border Agency were used; if these persons were deported on regular flights; the reason there is no mention of these 118 deportations on the service's website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22231/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the INIS website is currently being updated and is expected to be re-launched later this year.

However, in any event, details of all deportations are not individually listed on the INIS website given that, in general, removals are carried out using scheduled commercial flights, which usually involves transit through other European airports as Ireland does not have direct flights to most of the countries of return. As a result, the identification of each individual deportation by scheduled commercial flight could lead to identification of the individuals in question. Accordingly, it is generally only where Ireland leads on or participates in a deportation charter that a limited amount of detail is published on the INIS website.

In enforcing the law in respect of deportations, Ireland is no different to other countries who also remove individuals who have no lawful right to remain within their territory. Ireland, like other EU member states, uses deportation of illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers as the policy of last resort. The process leading to a deportation is extensive with many avenues of appeal, including judicial review in the High Court, open to persons subject to Deportation Orders. It should also be noted that a Deportation Order requires a person to remove themselves from the State and it is only where they fail to do so that the State is forced to remove them and enforce the rule of law.