A total of 249 prisoners have been granted temporary release for the Christmas period, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said.
Mr Shatter said those concerned would be released for between a few hours and seven days, and that any prisoner who breaks the conditions of their release would be arrested and returned to jail immediately.
“The prisoners being released are nearing the end of their sentences and the overriding concern when considering the applications is the safety of the public,” the Minister said in a statement.
“In addition to compassionate and humane considerations, other criteria taken into account include the nature and gravity of the offence, length of sentence served to date, prior record on temporary release, behaviour while in custody and previous criminal history.”
The number of people granted temporary release, under the Criminal Justice Act 1960, this year is 23 higher than in 2012 and almost double the figure for 2010 (134).
About three quarters of those being released are serving sentences in lower security prisons such as Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow.
The 249 people granted temporary release represent about 5 per cent of the State’s prison population, which stood at about 4,800 last week.
Mr Shatter said other prisoners nearing the end of their sentences would be granted full temporary release, meaning they will not have to return to prison.