Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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352. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons and the number of family units who have received financial assistance under the State’s voluntary return programme, each year since 2009 and the total grant amounts paid in each year. [52767/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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353. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to specify the current maximum and minimum levels of financial assistance available to persons and family units under the voluntary return programme; and to confirm when these levels were last reviewed or amended. [52768/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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354. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average financial support paid per person and per family unit under the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years. [52769/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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358. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether his Department has commissioned or received any independent evaluations or audits of the effectiveness of the voluntary return programme since its introduction in 2009; and if so, to make such reports publicly available. [52773/25]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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373. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the annual spend on reintegration grants for voluntary returns; the number who have available of this in each of the past five years, and in 2025 to date, including a breakdown of countries returned to, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52875/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 to 354, inclusive, 358 and 373 together.

It is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. Returning people who do not have permission to remain in Ireland is undertaken though voluntary returns and deportation. Both types of returns are essential for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.

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. It is important to note that a person can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued. In 2024, 934 people left Ireland by way of voluntary return. This year 1,188 people have left Ireland by way of voluntary return up to 26 September 2025, which is an increase of 116% compared to the same period in 2024.

A person who is intending to avail of voluntary return can arrange their return independently or they can be assisted with travel costs, financial aid and administrative support by the Voluntary Return Unit in my Department or through my Department’s partner, the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The option of Voluntary Return is not offered to those convicted of serious criminality.

Reintegration assistance, which can only be availed of once, is provided when the person departure from the State is confirmed. In 2020, the reintegration assistance grants provided under the voluntary return scheme were increased from €600 to €1,200 for individuals and from €1,000 to €2,000 for families. Earlier this week I announced that for a limited time, people who were in the International Protection process before 28 September 2025, will be offered increased reintegration assistance if they choose to avail of voluntary return at an earlier stage in the process.

This means if a person decides to opt for voluntary return either before receiving a first instance decision or before appealing a negative first instance decision their assistance will be increased to €2,500 per person to a maximum of €10,000 per family unit. If they are in the appeals process and decide to voluntary return before the appeal decision issues their assistance will increase, but to the lower amount of €1,500 per person and to a maximum of €6,000 per family unit. If they receive a final decision on their application assistance will only increase for families to a maximum of €3,000 per family unit.

The higher level of grants will only be available to those in the process before 28 September 2025. It will not be available to those who apply after this date. My Department will still reserve the right to refuse financial assistance to those with a history of criminality in the State.

My officials have reviewed a wide range of arrangements across the EU and these proposed new levels of support are considered to be generally in line with EU norms in this area; though comparison is complicated by the variety of packages offered across European return systems. I will be closely monitoring the effectiveness of this exercise and have instructed that a review of this targeted measure be undertaken after it has been in place for several months.

The delivery of financial reintegration assistance is administered by the IOM at this time. The IOM provides access to ‘on the ground’ in country services that provide reintegration support to people which my Department would otherwise not have access to. I can advise the Deputy that grant agreements have been awarded to IOM for the provision of voluntary return and reintegration services. The IOM reports it expenditure to my Department under these programmes, this information is reported on a programme cycle basis and is not all information requested by the Deputy is available to my Department at this time.

The IOM service comprises of pre-departure counselling, travel arrangements and the payment of a reintegration grant post return. The IOM previously offered two programme streams, the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) and the Irregular Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (IVARRP). In 2024, the IVARRP and VARRP were merged into one Voluntary Returns Programme which is managed and effected by the Voluntary Returns Unit of my Department.

The table below details the number of Individuals and Family Groups who received financial reintegration assistance, and the expenditure related to the delivery of reintegration grants under IOM programmes implemented between 01 January 2020 to 31 August 2025. The below figures include the payment of reintegration grants and associated costs of this. Depending on the Country of Return, IOM may charge a Service Fee for the administration and delivery of these services.

Not all participants in the Voluntary Return programme immediately request reintegration assistance upon leaving the State and some may not pursue it at all; there can also be a time lag between and individual receiving reintegration assistance and the reporting of that expenditure. For that reason, the figures set out in the above table will be subject to change.

I strongly encourage people who do not have permission to be in Ireland to leave voluntarily. People who require assistance or information can contact my Department’s Voluntary Return Unit by email, at voluntaryreturns@justice.ie, or at the below address.

Voluntary Returns Unit

2nd Floor

City West Campus

Saggart

Dublin 24.