Letter sent to Andrew Munro, Head of Legislation for Civil Justice, Head of Policy for Civil Justice, Department of Justice on the 24 July 2026, regarding human rights oversight and the monitoring of deportation flights.
Dear Andrew,
I write further to our correspondence in June-July 2025 regarding deportation flights.
As you will recall, IHREC wrote previously to set out several queries regarding the monitoring and oversight of these flights and sought clarification and further information from the Department on several points of concern. Your response on 18 July was accompanied by a redacted copy of the human rights observer report pertaining to the first deportation flight on 27 February 2025. We note that a further nine deportation flights have taken place since February 2025, including to Georgia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and South Africa.
Deportation flights carry grave risks of human rights violations and fall within the scope of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (‘OPCAT’), thereby requiring independent monitoring of the process from Ireland to the destination State.
As the National Human Rights Institution and prospective designated NPM Coordinator under the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill, we write to request copies of the eight additional human rights observer reports noting their relevance to our current and prospective mandates and functions. As you have advised, no human rights observer accompanied the June 2025 flight to Nigeria but we would be grateful if you could share any relevant report or records that are in existence and that relate to human rights monitoring.
We would also be grateful for updates on the following:
- The current appointment process for human rights observers, including the Department’s sourcing of a panel of suitably qualified human rights observers or engagement with relevant EU organisations as referenced in your letter of 15 May 2025;
- Information on any training specific to this specialised function the appointed observers have undertaken; and The Department’s plans to designate this human rights monitoring function to an NPM following OPCAT ratification, as is standard practice across Europe.
I thank you for your continued engagement on these important issues and look forward to receiving your response.
Le dea-mhéin,
Deirdre Malone
Stiúrthóir | Director
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