Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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562. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide the number of people, subject to a deportation order, who were removed from the State in each year between 2016 and 2024 inclusive, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42528/24]

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 being escorted. 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. Charter flights will support the removal process, in the near future. A procurement process for this is nearing completion and this will significantly increase capacity to conduct more enforced deportations. Meanwhile, enforced deportations are continuing on commercial flights and deportations conducted on commercial flights are at a 10 year high.

The number of deportation orders signed up to18 October 2024 (1792) has increased by 140% for the same period in 2023. The number of enforced deportations has increased by 157% for the same period in 2023 and overall number of returns has increased by 205 % for the same period in 2023.

771 people have departed from the State under various mechanisms up to 18 October 2024. This includes 747 persons who left the State after a Deportation Order was issued or availed of my Department’s Voluntary Return Programme before such an order was made.

Alternatives to forced removals, such as through the State’s voluntary return process, are preferable and there has been a significant increase in the number of persons availing of this programme. The number of voluntary returns has increased by 264% for the same period in 2023.

My Department is taking a number of steps to improve immigration enforcement and to increasing removals. I have announced that my Department has taken over administrative immigration functions to allow Gardaí to concentrate on enforcement and investigations. This has now freed up to 100 Gardaí.

Table below sets out the total number of repatriations of persons subject to a deportation order who were removed by GNIB, the number of persons subject to a deportation order where it has been confirmed they have left the State, and the number of persons who have departed the State under the Voluntary Return Programme for the period 2014 up to 18 October 2024.

(1) In 2019 there were two charter operations which resulted in a higher volume of enforced deportations

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

* Numbers repatriated/removed in a particular year may relate to deportation orders issued in previous years.

* During the COVID- 19 Pandemic there was a moratorium on deportations. This was effective during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and for the first 8 months of 2022. During the moratorium only persons whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest were deported. This moratorium was lifted in July 2022.