Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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503. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of deportation orders issued from 2011 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35451/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since 2011, a total of 12,240 deportation orders have been made by my Department. 

When issued with a deportation order, the person concerned is required to remove themselves from the State. Many people comply with this and leave the country, without notifying the immigration authorities that they have done so.

There are currently 3,692 people in the section 3 process under the Immigration Act 1999, subject to a notification of intention to deport. This figure includes people who have applied to have their deportation order revoked.  

My Department and the Garda National Immigration Bureau adopted a very humane approach to the enforcement of deportation orders during the pandemic. During this time, no orders were enforced except in cases where an individual would be considered a threat to national security or whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest.

With the lifting of public health restrictions and a return to more normal travel, it must be acknowledged that those who do not have a legal right to remain in this country must return to their own country, following fair procedure and having gone through all available avenues for appeal. Many people already do this voluntarily and are assisted by the Department and other organisations, such as the International Organization for Migration, where appropriate. 

However where a person does not voluntarily return to their own country, Ireland like all other EU Member States, puts in place arrangements to return persons to their home country. It is expected that those arrangements will resume in 2022.