Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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487. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the additional resources as of 1 January 2025 that will be added to the staffing compliment of his Department and or related agencies in order to deal with the predicted increase in deportations from the State. [9017/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring our immigration laws are robust and enforced. The removal of persons who have been refused permission to remain in the State is an essential requirement for the immigration system to work effectively and to ensure that our people have confidence in the application of our laws in this area.

My Department has acted to increase immigration enforcement measures and removals. The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared to 2023 (857). Last year, 1,116 people departed from the State under various mechanisms (i.e. enforced deportation, voluntary return etc.), an increase of 252% compared to 2023 (317).

Already this year over 700 deportation orders have been signed and over 300 people have departed the State. Last week, a chartered flight to Georgia removed 32 persons who were subject to deportation orders from the State.

The number of staff assigned to the Repatriation Division of my Department, who have responsibility for removals, has been significantly increased in the past year; staffing in this and other areas that play a role in removals are kept under review and will be increased as required.

While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, I look forward to engaging regularly with him to ensure that the Garda National Immigration Bureau, who have responsibility for enforced removals under escort, have the resources they will require. My Department has worked with An Garda Síochána to transfer routine administrative immigration duties to the Department and this process has already freed up to 100 trained Gardaí to focus on immigration enforcement activities.