360. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the costs of charter flights deporting failed international protection applicants in 2025 and to date in 2026; the destination of each flight; the number of deported people on each flight; the number of Gardaí on each flight; and the breakdown of costs on each flight. [75289/26]

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.

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 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 16 October 2026, 3,538 deportation orders had been signed.

Table 1: Deportation Orders Signed, 2023-2026

* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing

Charter flight services recommenced last year and are provided by Air Partner Ltd under a contract entered into in November 2024. Charter flights provide an alternative to commercial flights and can be more appropriate in circumstances when a group of individuals are being removed to the same destination. This has increased the options available to An Garda Síochána to effect removals and deportations.

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.

Seven charter flights to date in 2026 have seen the removal of 245 people from the State, including 91 EU citizens who were removed on grounds of criminality.

A breakdown of the cost of charter flights deporting failed international protection applicants in 2025 and to date in 2026 is not recorded by my Department in the manner requested. Charter flights to non-EU destinations include both people refused international protection and people issued with deportation orders who otherwise have no right to reside in the State. The table below details the charter flights to non-EU destinations from 2025 to date, and their provisional total costs.

*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.

A range of factors can influence the cost of any particular deportation operation. These include the number of people being removed, the destination country involved, aircraft availability, and, where direct flights are not available, the requirement to transit through a hub airport.

The number of Gardaí travelling on any particular flight is a matter for the GNIB. In some cases, a person may resist deportation and GNIB will conduct a risk assessment to determine the number of escorts required. In addition, where people convicted of offences are being removed, a higher number of escorts is typically required.