873. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of deportation orders signed in each year from 2020 to 2025; the number of confirmed departures recorded by the Garda National Immigration Bureau in respect of persons subject to those orders in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64816/26]

875. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has set any target or performance indicator for the proportion of signed deportation orders that are enforced; if not, whether his Department will consider setting one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64811/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 873 and 875 together.

It is a central priority for me that Ireland's immigration system is robust and rules-based. Effective enforcement of our immigration laws, including the implementation of deportation orders, is essential to maintaining confidence in the integrity of the system and ensuring that our legislation is applied consistently.

Deportations are often costly and complex to carry out. Consequently, voluntary return is the preferred option wherever possible. My Department operates a voluntary return programme to assist individuals who wish to leave the State before a deportation order is issued. As access to this programme is only available prior to the making of a deportation order, I have increased the resources available to support those who choose to return voluntarily at an earlier stage.

Where a person does not leave the State following the issuance of a deportation order, enforcement action may be required. In recent years, my Department has taken significant steps to strengthen immigration enforcement and increase the number of removals carried out.

The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) represented an increase of 180% compared with 2023 (857). In 2025, a total of 4,700 deportation orders were signed, a further increase of 96% on the 2024 figure. As of 11 September 2026, 3,190 deportation orders had been signed.

Table 1: Deportation Orders Signed, 2020-2026

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

In 2025, six charter flight operations 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.

Five charter operations to date in 2026 have seen the removal of 178 people from the State, including 67 EU citizens who were removed on grounds of criminality.

The table below details the number of deportations, removals and voluntary returns from 2020 to 11 September 2026.

Table 2. Deportation Enforcement 2020 to 2026

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

* A deportation effected in a particular year may relate to a Deportation Order signed in a previous year.

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

2. 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.

The enforcement of deportation orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and my Department works closely with the GNIB to facilitate the removal of individuals who are subject to deportation orders. Where a person does not leave the State voluntarily, they are required to present to the GNIB in accordance with the conditions attached to their deportation order.

While my Department does not operate specific targets or performance indicators regarding the proportion of deportation orders that are ultimately enforced, I can advise the Deputy that the number of enforced deportations has increased by 20% compared with the same period in 2025, rising from 235 to 282. In addition, the number of EU removals carried out on grounds of criminality has increased by 511%, rising from 18 to 110 over the same period.

It is also the case that a significant number of persons who are subject to deportation orders leave the State without notifying the relevant authorities. As there are no routine exit checks at Ireland's borders, it is not possible to determine definitively the number of individuals who have complied with a deportation order. However, I am informed that the GNIB has reviewed a substantial sample of such cases, and its inquiries indicate that a very significant proportion of these individuals have departed the State.