asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens who have been refused entry to the United States in each of the last 12 months and the reasons given for the refusals; the number of Irish citizens in the United States who have applied to the Irish Embassy or consuls for assistance in returning to Ireland in each of the last 12 months and the number who have received assistance; and the facilities provided by the Irish Embassy to assist Irish citizens to return to Ireland who cannot afford to do so themselves.
Written Answers. - Emigration Statistics.
43.
My Department have no statistics on the number of Irish citizens refused entry to the United States. United States statistics on this are global, not broken down by nationality. My Department would become aware only of a small proportion of cases, for example where the person asked for the Embassy or a consulate general to be notified, or where the person reported the event afterwards to us.
In the last year 18 Irish citizens sought help from our Embassy or consulates general in the US to return home to Ireland. The normal procedure in such cases is to help the citizen to get funds from relatives or friends in Ireland. Money would not normally be advanced to the citizen until an equivalent amount had been obtained by my Department from relatives or friends. In one of the cases that arose during the last year, which involved very serious illness, an advance of part of the cost of repatriation was, as an exception, made.