A total of 160 prisoners have been granted temporary release for Christmas, equivalent to 3 per cent of the total prison population.
This compares to 134 prisoners who secured release over the 2010 holiday period and 176 for Christmas 2009.
Over 60 per cent of the prisoners being released are serving their sentences in low-security institutions such as Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow and Loughan House in Co Cavan.
The prisoners who have secured temporary release are also all nearing the end of their sentences.
The periods of release vary from a few hours up to seven nights and all releases are subject to stringent conditions which include daily reporting to local Garda stations.
The Department of Justice said that in addition to compassionate and humane considerations, other criteria taken into account when deciding whether to allow temporary release include the nature and gravity of offences committed, the length of sentence served to date, a prisoner's prior record on temporary release, their behaviour while in custody, and any previous criminal history.
Any offender who breaks the conditions guarding temporary release can be arrested and returned immediately to prison.
