Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for a breakdown of the total number of deportations to date in 2024, including a breakdown of enforced deportations and assisted deportations, in tabular form. [38190/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the deputy that a deportation order is a legal order to leave the State. Any person who has been ordered to leave the State and fails to do so is committing a criminal offence, and can be arrested without warrant if they come into contact with An Garda Síochána. Such an order remains on the person’s record permanently, unless revoked by the Minister for Justice – it means they may not enter Ireland again in future.

The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) carries out inquiries to confirm that people have removed themselves from the State and works closely with my Department to enforce deportations where this is not the case.

In addition to the enforced deportations and those that are otherwise confirmed to have left, we know that a much larger number of people will have left the State without informing my Department; however, as there are no routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to accurately quantify this number.

Enforced deportation operations are complex and costly. They often involve investigations, detection, detentions in custody, legal challenges, flights costs and confirmation with the return country that the person is their citizen.

Alternatives to forced removals, such as through the State’s voluntary return programme, are therefore preferable.

The number of deportation orders signed up to 20 September 2024 (1508) has increased by 120% for the same period in 2023 (685 up to 22 September 2023).

621 people have departed from the State under various mechanisms up to 20 September 2024 (i.e. forced return, voluntary return etc.). The overall number of returns has increased by 190% for the same period in 2023 (214 up to 22 September 2023).

The number of enforced deportations has increased by 163% for the same period in 2023 (79 in 2024 and 30 up to 22 September 2023).

The number of voluntary returns has increased by 244% for the same period in 2023 (506 in 2024 and 147 up to 22 September 2023).

The Table below illustrates the total number of repatriations of persons in 2024 up to 20 September 2024.

*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.

1. Information has come to hand or by inquiry to the effect that the individual has left the state following receipt of a DO.
2. Person escorted from the state by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
3. EU Citizen removed from the State under the Free Movement Regulations (generally criminals).
4. Transfer to another EU State to have their application for International Protection examined.
5. Persons who availed of the voluntary return programme without getting a deportation order.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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76. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide an update on the review of the family reunification policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38191/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy, the review of the Policy Document for Non-EEA Family Reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for family reunification, including the nature and suitability of current income thresholds and waiting periods. My Department has consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders and the expectation is that the review will be brought to a conclusion in the coming months.

While I fully understand that all people moving to Ireland to live and work would wish to have their family join them, the issues to be examined as part of a family reunification application are complex. An important consideration in all family reunification applications, for example, is the ability of the sponsor to demonstrate a clear capacity to provide for their family member(s) if they are to be granted a permission to come to Ireland.

With effect from 15 May 2024, the first part of the review has been implemented, in that eligible spouses and partners of General Employment Permit and Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit holders who have been granted family reunification in accordance with the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, are now permitted to take up employment without the need to obtain employment permits of their own. This was already the case for eligible spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permits holders and researchers on Hosting Agreements.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fines and cautions imposed on airlines carrying passengers with inappropriate travel documentation. [38192/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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78. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to outline the total number of passengers who have arrived in Ireland with inappropriate travel documentation since the start of 2024, in tabular form. [38193/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together.

The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process. Immigration officials conduct passport checks, and run operations as required, to ensure passengers arriving in the State are properly documented in accordance with Section 11 of the Immigration Act 2004.

To the end of August of this year the Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has refused 3,395 individuals leave to land in the State. Of those a total of 1,590 presented with no documents and 672 were identified as false or as imposter.

My Department has recorded a 34% reduction in 2023 in the number of persons arriving in the State without the correct documentation. 2024 has seen a further reduction in the numbers arriving without documentation. This is based on the work that the Border Management Unit is doing with Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).

The BMU of my Department is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport only, as such the above figures reflect the position at Dublin Airport. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the GNIB.

The GNIB has responsibility for issuing Carrier Liability, notices and warnings and for the imposition of Carrier Liability Fines on carriers who permit a non-national to travel with their airline or ferry without the necessary documentation i.e. no documents, false document, no visa or improper use of genuine documents.

Last year, the GNIB issued approximately 1,000 fines and approximately 1,100 cautions to carriers.

Before the summer recess I brought forward legalisation which increases penalties for carriers who are found to not have conducted appropriate checks on the documentation of people boarding. The fines for carriers have increased from €3,000 to €5,000.

The BMU and the GNIB are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have such documentation when boarding. This includes delivering in-person training to relevant airline ground-handling staff on immigration requirements and false travel documentation. Border Management Unit officials are also available 24/7 to assist airlines with any immigration queries.

BMU and GNIB also have an ongoing intelligence-led programme of operations at airplanes to detect passengers who destroyed documents inflight and to identify the point of embarkation of undocumented passengers.

I also strengthened visa requirements to travel to Ireland, provided funding for an increase in the Garda Airport Liaison Officers network across European transport hubs and assigned additional resources to the Border Management Unit to facilitate disembarkment checks.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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79. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of international protection applications to date in 2024, in tabular form. [38194/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected.

I have significantly increased investment into the international protection system, which has allowed for a major increase in processing capacity and the introduction of accelerated processing.

Last July, I published a report on the international protection modernisation programme for 2023 and 2024. This programme involved unparalleled investment in staff, panel members, reengineered processes, and technology.

Measures to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as enhancing the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants have been implemented. This has already demonstrated results with the International Protection Office (IPO) confident of delivering over 14,000 decisions this year.

Recent strategic policy and operational approaches to speed up applications from safe countries and the country with the highest number of applications are also proving effective. Applications from designated safe countries have dropped by more than 50% since I introduced the accelerated procedure.

Application figures in the International Protection Office so far in 2024 are set out in the below table:

*as of 19^th September 2024

**Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however all statistics may be subject to data cleansing

The Deputy may also wish to know that I intend to substantially increase resourcing of the entire end-to-end International Protection process, including further additional staffing over the next 12 months, to improve processing times, significantly increase removals and enhance border security.

All aspects of the international protection modernisation programme will continue to be kept under review and improved on a continuous ongoing basis.