The Garda Complaints Board is investigating the circumstances surrounding the removal of non-national children from schools for deportation.
The move follows criticism of the Garda's decision to enter schools last month as it carried out a number of deportation orders for failed Nigerian asylum seekers.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, meanwhile, has said that Garda authorities have advised him that they were "obliged" to call to school properties because of a failure by parents to comply with deportation orders.
In response to a parliamentary question, the Minister said: "In enforcing these orders, it is a priority, as far as operationally possible, that family units which are the subject of such orders are not broken up in the process."
He added: "All persons subject to such orders are required to present at Garda stations for the purpose of their removal from the State. It is only where there is a failure to comply with such orders that the Garda Síochána is obliged to take measures to enforce same."
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, who has criticised the manner in which gardaí "lifted children out of school classrooms", said yesterday that she and the Minister for Justice were concerned at the decision of gardaí to enter schools.
"He, like I, would be very concerned that schools would be a centre of young people being taken out for deportation. It has an effect on the family themselves, but also on the rest of the school . . . He said he would raise it with gardaí," she told RTÉ radio.
A spokeswoman for Mr McDowell said yesterday he planned to raise the issue personally with Garda authorities shortly. He had already discussed the practice with immigration officials in the department, she added.
The Minister also said he had no plans to revoke deportation orders for two Nigerian women who were separated from some of their children when they were removed from the State.
He said that despite the best efforts of the Garda on the day of the removals to maintain the unity of both families, the women "refused to co-operate with gardaí" in locating all their children.
The remaining four children, who he said were hidden from gardaí, were passed into the care of other local Nigerian nationals by their mothers.
