Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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355. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total administrative cost of operating the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years, including staffing, promotion and case management. [52770/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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359. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost per successful voluntary return in each of the past five years, including both grant support and administrative overheads, and to provide a comparison with the estimated cost of enforced deportations in the same period. [52774/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 359 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.

I can advise the Deputy that grant agreements are in place with IOM for the provision of voluntary return and reintegration services. The IOM service comprises of pre-departure counselling, travel arrangements and the payment of a reintegration grant post return. These grant agreements provide for IOM’s administrative and operational costs. The IOM reports it expenditure to my Department under these programmes, this information is reported on a programme cycle basis and is not available in the manner requested by the Deputy.

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.

I can advise the Deputy the funding allocated by my Department to IOM over the last five years is as follows.

The IVARRP implemented between: October 2020 to December 2021, was allocated a total funding €468,417.77; between January 2022 to December 2022, was allocated a total funding of €525,151.33; and between January 2023 to August 2024, was allocated a total funding €695,278.17.

The VARRP implemented between: January 2021 to December 2021 was allocated a total funding €651,741.94; between January to December 2022 was allocated a €644,612.50; and between January 2023 to August 2024 was allocated total funding of EUR €920,959.39.

As I have advised the Deputy, in 2024, the IVARRP and VARRP were merged under the one Voluntary Returns Programme. In 2024, a grant agreement was signed with IOM for the period 1 August 2024 to 31 January 2026. The amount awarded under this agreement was €2,783,950.26.

Up until 2023, the Voluntary Return Programme was administered solely by IOM on behalf of my Department. In 2024 my Department developed its own Voluntary Return Programme, whilst still using the support of the IOM for assisting the more vulnerable people.

I have increased my Department’s capacity to provide voluntary return services with the expansion of the Voluntary Returns Unit to 20 staff. By providing voluntary returns services directly I expect my Department will be able to deliver the programme in a more cost-efficient manner going forward.

In addition to the reported expenditure by IOM for voluntary return, the table below details the amount spent by my Department on international transport costs for voluntary returns in 2024 and 2025 to 31 August 2025.Prior to 2024, all international travel arrangements for voluntary returns were organised by IOM.

Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, this figure is subject to change as invoices and credit notes may yet be due to issue.

Please note that 75% of the voluntary return commercial flight costs detailed above are recoupable under the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund programme.

I can advise the Deputy that each application for a voluntary return is examined on a case-by-case basis considering the person’s individual circumstances and there can be a wide disparity in the costs due to the nature of the assistance provided. Therefore, my Department does not provide an estimated average cost per voluntary return as this would not accurately illustrate the cost of returning a person under the programme.

I can assure the Deputy, in the vast majority of cases, the costs of removing people by enforced deportation would be significantly higher than by voluntary return. When people leave under the voluntary return programme they are cooperating and do not need to be detained prior to departure, or escorted by members of An Garda Síochána on the flight. Additionally, most people who left the State under the programme last year did not avail of a reintegration grant. It is in everyone’s best interest that people avail of the option to voluntary return when offered as an alternative to deportation.

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

2nd Floor

City West Campus

Saggart

Dublin 24.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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356. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications made to the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years, the number approved, the number refused; and the number of approved applicants who subsequently did not depart the State. [52771/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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357. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria and process used by his Department in assessing applications to the voluntary return programme; and the grounds on which applications are refused. [52772/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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360. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the top ten countries of nationality of those availing of the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years; and the number of returns for each nationality. [52775/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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361. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will commit to publishing an annual statistical report on the voluntary return programme, setting out in anonymised form the number of applicants, approvals, refusals, grant levels, nationalities involved, and overall expenditure. [52776/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 356, 357, 360 and 361 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 through 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.

Up until 2023, the Voluntary Return Programme was administered solely by IOM on behalf of my Department. In 2024, my Department developed its own Voluntary Return Programme, which operates in tandem and in close cooperation with IOM’s services. My Department’s programme provides assistance to people who wish to leave and are not deemed to be in a vulnerable situation. In general terms, the IOM considers more vulnerable cases. The voluntary return service comprises of pre-departure counselling, organising travel arrangements and the payment of a reintegration grant.

If a person receives a final negative decision on their International Protection application or withdraws their application, they are informed of the option of voluntary return and they have five days to indicate whether they wish to avail of it. When a person indicates that they wish to avail of the option to voluntarily return, a completed voluntary return application form is requested within five working days. If a person decides not to avail of a voluntary return within this period, or they do not compete the voluntary return process then a deportation order can be made against them.

There are safeguards in place for vulnerable people and requests for return can be refused if it would be unsafe for the person to return home. The Voluntary Returns Unit assesses each application on their eligibility for the programme. The option to voluntary return under the programme is not available to people subject to deportation orders or to people with a history of serious criminality.

People leaving under the programme are required to provide my officials with documentary evidence that they have left within three days of their arrival in their home country. This can include evidence of flight tickets, boarding passes, the bio-data page of their passports and the re-entry stamp in their passport with the passport number clearly shown.

In many instances those availing of voluntary return will also be met by officials from the Border Management Unit of my Department, or by IOM, to ensure that their return journey is facilitated through Dublin Airport and that their departure is confirmed.

Further information and evidence will be requested if the supporting documentation submitted is not sufficient to confirm that the person has left the State. People who do not submit the required documentation within the timeframes are advised that their cases will be reverted for further processing which may result in a deportation order issuing if the person is not confirmed to have left the State.

The table below details the number of applications made to the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years, the number of applications which resulted in a confirmed voluntary departure and the number people who applied but did not subsequently depart the State under the programme.

Table one: Voluntary Return Applications received, departures completed and departures not completed from 2020 to 26 September 2025

**Please note, statistics may change subject to data cleansing. An application which has been finalised in a given year may have been received in a previous year.

(1) VR not completed refers to people who applied for a voluntary return but did not have their departure confirmed under the VR Programme. This includes people who were refused and/or withdrew their application for Voluntary Return.

The tables at the link below detail the nationalities of those availing of the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years; and the number of returns for each nationality. It is the policy of my Department not to release numbers where there are less than 5 in respect of any nationality, as there is a possibility that a person may be identifiable by releasing such information. Therefore, the full information regarding the nationalities of voluntary returnees is not provided.

I have no current plans to publish an annual statistical report on the voluntary return programme, however, I do regularly provide information on the programme in response to Parliamentary Questions as required.