Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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173. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the procurement process for arranging flights to transport deportees from Ireland to their country of origin; and the airlines and travel agencies involved in transporting deportees. [17168/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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A Deportation Order requires the person concerned 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. The process leading to deportation is extensive with many avenues of appeal open to persons subject to Deportation Orders, including judicial review in the High Court. Where persons have been identified as a threat to national security by An Garda Síochána, it remains open to me to make Deportation Orders against such persons and I have done so in the past and will continue to do so where appropriate.

The Department of Justice and Equality primarily use the central government air travel contract for all commercial air travel. This contract was awarded to Club Travel, following a public procurement exercise carried out by the Office of Government Procurement, and came into effect on 1 August 2017. The airlines used will vary depending on such factors as cost, destination and date of travel.

If operational needs demand, the Department may charter a plane for a specific flight and this is procured through a separate tendering process, as required.