Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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639. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide a schedule of number of deportation orders issued and fully executed from 2000 to date in 2025, in tabular form; and the number of orders that remain open. [34164/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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It is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.

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, within the timeframe issued with the deportation order, 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 – it means they may not enter Ireland again in future.

Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. A person can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued and I have increased resources into this programme to enable persons who wish to return before a deportation order is issued to them.

If a person does not remove themselves from the State following the issuance of a deportation order, they will be removed, and my Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals. The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared to 2023 (857). This year 2,120 deportation orders have been signed up to 20 June 2025.

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). This year 980 persons have had their departure confirmed through these pathways up to 20 June 2025.

The Tables below detail information in relation to deportation orders signed in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 up to 20 June 2025.

Information from earlier years is being collated from a number of record sources and I will forward to the Deputy when this is available.

Table 1. Deportation orders signed from 2021 to 2025

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

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.

Table 2. Deportations 2021 to 2025

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

1. Otherwise confirmed Deportations is where it has been confirmed the individual has left the state following receipt of a Deportation Order without being escorted.