Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2004
401 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Irish citizen children removed with their non-national parents during the mass deportation of 16 November 2004; the countries to which they were sent; if there was a similar mass deportation on 17 November 2004; if so, the number of Irish citizen children removed with their non-national parents; and the countries to which they were sent. [30297/04]
View answerA total of 71 persons were returned to Romania and Moldova on a chartered aircraft on the night of 16 November 2004 in an operation carried out by the Garda national immigration bureau. Some 47 adults and ten minors were brought to Romania and 14 adults were brought to Moldova. In addition to the 71 persons removed, an Irish-born child was taken back to Romania by her mother, who indicated that she wished to return to that country. It is misleading to characterise the operation that took place as a mass deportation, as that term implies that an individual consideration of cases had not taken place. Individual consideration was afforded in every case, in accordance with the relevant legislation.
