Twenty-five sex offenders have been deported from the State since last year as part of an operation An Garda Síochána said was targeting “highly dangerous non-Irish nationals”.
Operation Moonridge, led by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), began last year with a view to identifying and locating convicted sex offenders who do not have a right to reside in Ireland.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming progress in the operation, the existence of which had not previously been publicly disclosed.
Eleven EU nationals and 14 people from outside the EU have, to date, been deported under Operation Moonridge.
It is understood that those deported include a number of people convicted of sexual offences in the State who remained after completing their sentences.
This includes Ioan Remi Makula, a Romanian national, who was jailed for two years in 2022 for masturbating beside a female passenger on board a Ryanair flight to Shannon Airport.
He was one of four registered sex offenders deported to Romania last October as part of a larger group of people.
While gardaí have previously deported foreign national sex offenders from the State, Operation Moonridge represents a more organised approach that is supported by additional resources.
Mr O’Callaghan said the continuing operation involved extensive information-sharing between GNIB, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, the Garda Sex Offenders Management Intelligence Unit and units in the Department of Justice.
All of those deported are subject to periods of exclusion from the State.
“This work being undertaken by specialised units within An Garda Síochána is critical for the protection of people and for building public confidence in Ireland’s immigration system,” the Minister said.
“I am implementing a rules-based migration system which means if a person commits serious offences while in the State, that person will be caught and removed.”
The removals were carried out under a deportation order or an EU removal order in the case of EU citizens.
In recent years, the Garda and Department of Justice have stepped up efforts to deport people without a right to remain in the State, with those convicted of serious offences being prioritised.
This includes the chartering of dedicated deportation flights. Since last year, six such flights have taken place, resulting in the deportation of 205 people.