There were more than three times as many gardaí as deportees on a half-empty flight to Pakistan, even though only one of the passengers had a serious criminal record.
Internal Department of Justice documents revealed that the September deportation mission cost €474,000 and involved just 24 people whose asylum applications had failed, reports Breaking News
Three of the individuals had only minor offences that never resulted in jail time, while one had a serious conviction from the UK.
The documents showed that 79 members of An Garda Síochána travelled on the flight, averaging 3.3 officers per deportee, along with a doctor, paramedic, translator and human rights observer, reports Breaking News
The department said the average expense per person removed was around €20,000, stressing in a statement that such operations were “costly and complex to enforce.”
They added that charter flights expand the options and capacity available to gardaí and that staffing decisions are a matter for policing authorities, reports Breaking News
A statement said: “[The Garda National Immigration Bureau] conducts a risk assessment for the safety of those travelling. This informs the number of personnel involved.”
The department confirmed that the cost of what was known as ‘Operation Toboggan’ amounted to €473,000, with an additional €1,120 on catering, reports Breaking News
They were unable to provide details on staffing or overtime expenses for the 79 gardaí sent on the flight to Islamabad.
An internal memo noted that the Airbus A330 used for the mission had 256 seats but flew well under capacity on the seven-and-a-half-hour journey to Pakistan, reports Breaking News
The note added that there were no family groups among the deportees, whose ages ranged from 23 to 66.
Their average time living in Ireland was nine years and three months, with 10 residing in IPAS centres and 14 living in private rental accommodation, reports Breaking News
A briefing for Minister Jim O’Callaghan stated: “References to the [charter] contract costing the State €5 million relate to the potential value of the contract over the lifespan of the contract.”
“The term of the contract is three years with a possibility to extend it twice by one year, a potential lifespan of five years in total”, reports Breaking News
A separate internal briefing note on ‘Operation Void’, which removed 23 Romanian nationals in October, said it had cost just under €70,000.
It said all of the individuals had served prison sentences in Ireland and were being deported under EU free movement laws, reports Breaking News
The note stated: “A removal and exclusion order may be issued to an EU national when the person represents a danger for public policy or public security.”
Nineteen of the 23 deportees were taken from the State while still serving prison terms, while the remaining four “were located and detained” by gardaí, reports Breaking News
The minister was informed that 80 gardaí would travel on the flight, accompanied by a human rights monitor, a translator and a medical team.
The document noted that the group being removed had accumulated a total of 565 criminal charges during their time in Ireland, reports Breaking News
A Department of Justice spokesman said: “It is a priority for Minister Jim O’Callaghan that our immigration system is rules-based and efficient. Enforcement of our immigration laws is a central element of a rules-based system.
“The removal of persons who have been refused permission to remain is an essential requirement for the immigration system to work effectively and to ensure that the public has confidence in the application of our laws in this area.”
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