On 8 March 2012, a member of An Garda Síochána attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) suffered injuries while on duty during the course of a deportation flight to Nigeria.
This flight, which was Austrian-led and organised through FRONTEX (the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union), had departed Vienna on the evening of 9 March, stopping in Madrid to take on board returnees and their escorts from Spain, France and Ireland en route to Nigeria. The returnees from Ireland had earlier been escorted without incident on a charter flight from Dublin to Madrid.
The incident in question occurred during the Madrid to Lagos leg of the flight. The injuries sustained by the member were treated by medical personnel on board. The flight proceeded to Nigeria and on its return to Madrid, the member was taken to a hospital there. He was discharged from hospital and returned to Ireland on 9 March, the same day as the other GNIB members involved in the flight.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that a senior officer has been appointed to conduct a criminal investigation into this serious incident and in advance of the outcome of that investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the member in question a speedy recovery. Finally, yet again, this incident serves to underline the often difficult and dangerous nature of the duties undertaken by members of the force on behalf of the State.