20,000 minors with deportation orders have been granted Irish citizenship over the last five years

The Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has revealed that less than 1% of deportation orders against minors are enforced. The precise figure is .06%.

Quoted on Newstalk in reference to a Chinese boy who was to be deported along with his mother who committed passport fraud, Flanagan was heard to remark:

"Looking at the numbers going back over the last five years, there have been 134 deportation orders enforced against minors or young people. That contrasts with almost 20,000 minors being granted Irish citizenship."

The Chinese boy has since been allowed to stay.

The case of "Eric" Zhi Ying Xue was heavily promoted in the media. His mother had arrived in Ireland 12 years ago illegally and gave birth to her son in Ireland with a non-Irish father. She had claimed his father was Irish in order to obtain an Irish passport. This is an offence under Passports Act 2008.
https://www.politicalirish.com/threads/failed-nigerian-asylum-seekers-allowed-to-stay-after-children-used-for-campaign.27484/post-295311

Committing this offence may have meant the Eric's mother was not entitled to avail of the "scheme which does not exist" to acquire Irish citizenship.

The Irish Independent revealed the secret scheme gives permission to failed asylum seekers and illegals to stay in Ireland if they've been here for over five years without a criminal record.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/mother-resorted-to-prostitution-to-fund-sons-medication-court-hears-36518112.html

Broadcast: Oct 2018