Some 280 prisoners will be released on Christmas parole, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, has said.
Twenty dissident republicans, mainly members of the "Real IRA", but including some Continuity IRA members, will not be given parole.
The four Provisional IRA members serving sentences in Castlerea prison, Co Roscommon, for the killing of Det Garda Jerry McCabe are also being denied release over the Christmas period. Sixteen Provisional IRA prisoners in Castlerea have been paroled for Christmas, and can then apply for renewable temporary release, reflecting progress made under the peace agreement.
Many of the prisoners being released are serving short sentences and/or are nearing the end of their prison terms. Mr O'Donoghue said qualifying criteria for the release scheme include compassionate and humane considerations, the length of sentence served, the nature of the offence and previous criminal history. "The overriding concern is the safety of the public," he added.
The conditions and period of the release vary from a few hours to up to three weeks. All prisoners must report regularly to their local Garda station. Some prisoners released for a few hours on Christmas Day will remain under escort. Any offender breaking the conditions may be arrested and returned to prison.