Forty-two South African nationals were deported from Ireland yesterday, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said.

Nine men, 18 women and 15 minors - who were all part of family groups - arrived in Johannesburg this morning on the charter flight from Dublin.

Two of those deported had been convicted of offences in Ireland.

The Garda National Immigration Bureau carried out the operation on foot of deportation orders issued by the Minister for Justice.

The operation was the fourth deportation charter flight this year, with 130 people previously removed from the State, including 67 EU citizens on grounds of criminality, according to the Department of Justice.

The department said the cost of this latest charter flight was €735,000.

Minister O'Callaghan said the deportation orders are "an essential requirement" for Ireland's immigration system to work effectively.