Fewer than 25 per cent of foreign nationals who served prison sentences in the Republic have been deported, according to figures released by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
Mr McDowell said that 662 people would have been eligible for deportation, based on their convictions, since 2001. Of that number, "150 were deported, 127 were not deported and are legally resident in the State, and 108 are under consideration - therefore, 258 out of 662 have been considered or are being considered for deportation".
He said that 25 people had evaded deportation when it was ordered against them "and may not be in the State".
The other category related to people - a total of 252 people - "who have no resident status and who may or may not be in the State and are probably not in the State".
The Minister emphasised, in reply to Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Jim O'Keeffe, that "each case is considered on its individual merits having regard to the gravity of the offence committed as well as what, if any, other connection each individual has to the State".
Mr O'Keeffe said that he wanted to know "how many such people roaming the countryside should have been considered for deportation, how many were considered and how many were deported".
