By Ger Molloy – The Irish Channel
The charge of sexual assault against a man in his thirties in connection with a vulnerable 10-year-old girl in the Dublin Citywest area has exposed a catastrophic failure of state agencies on multiple fronts. The horrifying details are compounded by the revelation that the man charged was reportedly subject to a Deportation Order issued in March of this year. This means that for at least six months, an individual deemed by the State to have no legal right to remain was allowed to continue residing in the country, ultimately leading to this alleged attack.
The public outcry is justifiably focused on this glaring enforcement lapse by the Department of Justice and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). A deportation order is a legal command, not a suggestion, yet it appears this order became just another unenforced directive in a system demonstrably unable to track and remove individuals. This incident highlights a systemic weakness that directly compromises public safety and undermines the integrity of Ireland’s immigration and asylum process.
The political response has seen Sinn Féin and other opposition figures sharply criticise the Government, with one TD noting that authorities often “just assume those subject to deportation orders have left and have no actual way of knowing.” While opposition parties correctly point out the Government’s failures in immigration enforcement and the ongoing crisis in child protection—as the victim was a vulnerable girl in the care of Tusla (the Child and Family Agency)—their own positions now face intense scrutiny.
Regardless of their stated immigration policies, the central government and the parliamentary opposition have all presided over, or failed to substantially challenge, a system where the enforcement of deportation orders is notoriously weak. The debate cannot simply be a matter of political point-scoring; it must address the fundamental question of state competence.
The most critical and devastating question remains: Will anyone be held responsible for this failed deportation? Who within the Department of Justice, GNIB, or even the wider government structure will face sanction for the systemic failure to enforce a valid legal order that had been in place for half a year?
This tragedy is the direct consequence of state agencies failing to protect the most vulnerable in their care, and failing to uphold the most basic function of the justice system—enforcement. Without genuine accountability, the enforcement failures that enabled this horrific crime will undoubtedly continue.