Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

760. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of IPAS applicants which have been issued with a deportation order but remained in Ireland over the past five years, by county; the length of time they have remained in Ireland since being issued with the order; the number of which were refused asylum in another EU country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61539/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

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 people who wish to return before a deportation order is issued to them.

A deportation order is a legal order to leave the State. 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 4,022 deportation orders have been signed up to 7 November 2025.

So far in 2025, six charter flight operations have removed 205 people from the State. Of these, five operations to non-EU destinations removed 182 people who were subject to deportation orders and one operation removed 23 EU citizens on grounds of criminality. Further removals will be conducted as the year progresses.

The table below illustrates the total number of returns in 2024 and up to 7 November 2025.

*Otherwise confirmed deportations is where it has been confirmed a person has left the state following receipt of a deportation order without being escorted.

**Other removals include Dublin III Transfer Orders of International Protection applicants to another EU State and EU Removal Orders for the return of EU Citizens under the Free Movement Regulations (these orders are made on grounds of criminality) and people who are deemed inadmissible under the International Protection Act.

As there are no routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to accurately provide the number of people who are currently in Ireland subject to deportation orders. Since 2020 over 300 of the people subject to deportation orders above have confirmed they have left the State independently. It should be noted that many will have left the State without informing the authorities.

I am informed that the Garda National Immigration Bureau has reviewed a large sample of cases of people subject to deportation orders; their inquiries suggest a very significant number of these people have left the State.

The table below details the number of deportation orders made in respect of people who have been refused International Protection from 2021 up to 7 November 2025.

** 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 who whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest were deported. This moratorium was lifted in July 2022.

While information is kept on each individual file in relation to when a deportation order has been issued, their place of residence, and if they have been refused international protection in another EU country, this information is not collated in the manner requested by the Deputy.