Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central and party chairperson Ken O’Flynn has published figures, obtained through parliamentary questions, showing that the State spent just over €570,000 on three charter flights used to remove people with criminal convictions from the country so far in 2026.
The figures were provided by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in reply to questions tabled by Deputy O’Flynn. The three charter operations, all given by the Department as provisional costs pending final invoicing, were a flight to Poland and Lithuania on 25 January 2026 costing €191,286.76, a second flight to Poland and Lithuania on 24 May 2026 costing €256,330.22, and a July 2026 operation linked to a Frontex joint return operation to Nigeria costing €123,085.67. Together they came to €570,702.65.
The same reply also discloses that, of the people removed on grounds of criminality to 6 September 2026, 41 had a valid deportation or removal order imposed on them while they were in prison but were released from custody before that removal was carried out.
On average, people in this position spent 56 to 57 days back in the community after completing their sentence before they were removed from the State.
“Every one of these removals is the right outcome, and I want to see more of them,” said Deputy O’Flynn. “But the public is entitled to the full cost and the full picture. Over half a million euro on three flights, with the invoices not even finalised, and 41 people with criminal convictions and live removal orders let back into the community first. Those are not small details. They are the whole point of an immigration system people can have confidence in.”
Deputy O’Flynn also noted that a direct question on how much of this cost is being reclaimed from the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund was not answered.
“When taxpayers are paying for charter flights, they are entitled to know what is coming back from Brussels and what is not,” said Deputy O’Flynn. “That question was ignored. I will keep putting it until there is a figure on the record.