Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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664. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether his Department has any plans for IPAS accommodation at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65863/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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665. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for details of any agreements or contractual arrangements entered into with a developer in relation to a proposed housing development (detail supplied), specifically regarding its potential use as temporary accommodation for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65864/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 665 together.

The Department has not received an offer of accommodation at this location, and is not currently examining this property for use for international protection accommodation.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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666. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to clarify the situation of international protection applicants from Afghanistan that have their applications refused and are advised to voluntarily return, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; to elaborate on the circumstances whereby Ireland is both operating a humanitarian admission programme and not enforcing returns to the country; to explain the circumstances where many Afghan nationals with negative decisions will face becoming "non-returnable migrants", with all the attendant negative consequences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65869/25]

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.

Where a person applies for international protection in the State, there are a number of assessments of the person’s application; where an applications is assessed as being unfounded, the Minister is under an obligation to issue a Deportation Order.

It is important to note that in many cases where a Deportation Order has been signed in respect of an Afghan national, these are cases where the person has not co-operated with the International Protection process; including not cooperating in the determination of their identity and nationality. In many such cases non-cooperation may involve the person not attending for their interview or failing to make representations why they and their family should be granted permission to remain in Ireland, therefore leaving no option but for a Deportation Order to issue.

Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has, for many years, operated 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. Part of the voluntary return process is the offer of reintegration assistance – this is a grant that helps people get back on their feet when they return home.

In 2024, 934 people left Ireland by way of voluntary return. This year 1,426 people have left up to 21 November 2025, which is an increase of 90% compared to the same period in 2024.

Voluntary return is offered to everyone in the International Protection process and people are not excluded on grounds of nationality. However, I can assure the Deputy 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. My Department assesses each application individually based on their eligibility for the programme.