Government officials were told to stay silent about a charter deportation flight removing convicted criminals from Ireland until it had safely completed its journey.
Department of Justice records show the operation, which saw 33 EU nationals flown to Poland and Lithuania, was treated as highly sensitive, with a direction that no statements should be issued until both landings had been successfully completed.
The documents also reveal that 113 gardaí were on board and that some of those deported, including sex offenders, were released early from prison sentences.
The €151,000 charter flight in January was described as carrying a far higher risk than previous large-scale deportations.
An internal email said: “This is a more difficult and complex operation than previous removals given the profile of the persons being removed and the fact that there are two disembarkation locations.
“For that reason, we advise that there should be no public commentary until we have confirmation of the successful disembarkation at the second location.”
A note from the Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said: “Once confirmation has been received that the flight has landed in Lithuania, my statement and then the garda one can be issued.”
The records also detail how twenty of those deported were serving prison sentences at the time, with some released early.
However, in cases of sexual assault, their victims had been contacted and told of the plans, according to a ministerial briefing document.
It explained how together, those on board had amassed more than 1,000 criminal charges including for sex offences, drug supply, and organised crime.
It said the 33 people – 31 men and 2 women – were issued with exclusion orders of between one and ten years.
Of the 20 taken directly from jail, the individuals were released on average 4.5 months early from their sentence.
A Q&A for Minister O’Callaghan included a suggested response if asked about letting sex offenders out early: “No person with convictions for sex offences were removed without consultation with the respective injured party.
If pressed on whether it was appropriate, a recommended answer read: “All persons convicted of sexual assault were released close to the end of their custodial sentence and were given significant exclusions orders to remain outside the State.
“We hope that this will give extra relief to the victims knowing that the perpetrator was removed from the State.”
The minister was also prepped on whether publicising removal operations was necessary and if there was a risk of stigmatising the communities involved.
A suggested response said the “vast majority of people” coming to Ireland – including those from Lithuania and Poland – were “law-abiding, hardworking and exemplary people.”
It added: “We are informing the public about these removals, so they know that being a member of the EU does not mean we have to host criminals without recourse.”
The briefing also said there would be further charter operations within the European Union targeting repeat offenders.
It explained that along with gardaí, there was a human rights monitor, a translator, and a medical team on board.
The records also show how the department opted to include a price tag of €122,000 in a press release about the flight.
However, the actual bill was around €151,000 when VAT was included, although the extra tax will have been cost neutral for the State.
Asked about the operation, a Department of Justice spokesperson said: “The removal of people who are involved in criminality and those who are a danger to society is a priority for the Minister.
“The Department works closely with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service to ensure high risk persons are prioritised for removal from Ireland.”
The spokesperson said EU removals took place after a full assessment of the person’s individual circumstances including length of residence, integration, age, and health.