The Department of Justice has spent €3.9 million on deportation operations since February 2025, facilitating the removal of 377 people on 10 charter flights, according to new figures released to the Public Accounts Committee.
The data shows that 988 Garda escorts accompanied those deportation flights, averaging more than two escorts per returnee. The overall cost of the operations equates to approximately €10,344 per person deported, although this figure does not include the cost of Garda escort duties.
In correspondence to the Public Accounts Committee, Department Secretary General Doncha O'Sullivan explained that the number of Garda escorts assigned to each flight depends on the level of risk posed by those being deported. As deportations are enforced removals, many individuals do not cooperate with the process, requiring a larger security presence. Flights carrying more adults or people with criminal convictions generally require additional Garda personnel.
O'Sullivan said the role of Garda escorts is to ensure deportations are carried out safely, professionally and respectfully, particularly when children and families are on board.
The largest Garda deployment occurred on a deportation flight to South Africa in February, when 133 Garda members accompanied 63 returnees. Another flight to Poland and Lithuania involved 119 Garda escorts for 34 deportees.
Charter flights accounted for the vast majority of expenditure, costing €3.55 million. The single most expensive operation was a flight to South Africa on 19 June, which cost €904,050. Additional costs included €162,916 for medical teams, €106,347 for commercial deportation flights and €60,165 for flight management services.
The Department also incurred €21,740 in unexpected expenses. These included €8,653 following an emergency landing in Nigeria in April 2025 and €13,087 to de-ice a flight travelling to Poland and Lithuania in January.
Each deportation flight was monitored by a Human Rights Observer (HRO). The cost of providing observers for nine of the operations totalled €36,307, with the figure for the most recent flight yet to be confirmed.
While Garda escort costs are generally met through the force's annual budget, O'Sullivan said the Department has secured support through the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Under a grant agreement running from January 2025 to December 2027, the Garda National Immigration Bureau has already received €1.84 million to help cover expenses such as overtime, accommodation, travel, subsistence and interpreter services linked to deportations.
The Department expects to recover up to 75% of eligible deportation-related costs through the AMIF, including charter and commercial flight expenses. Officials estimate the total reimbursement to the Exchequer could amount to around €3.45 million, with work already underway to submit claims under the scheme.
Source: Department of Justice correspondence to the Public Accounts Committee.
