It wasn't me! Politician claims ignorance, shock.

I watched Mrs Lynch, mother of mudered Rob Lynch taking on the news last night and honest to God, her anger, tears and broken heart nearly made me cry. This poor woman said she was not going to accept Minsiter of State Tony Kileen's ridiculous statement that he didn't know or hadn't personally signed off on a letter asking for the early release of her son's muderer. And indeed why should she? Rob Lynch died when Chris Cooney used a stanley blade to slit open his throat. Her son died within minutes, her pain lives on.
The following is taken from today's Irish Times...

"Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen made four representations for the temporary and early release of a convicted murderer, it has emerged. Liam Reid and Gordon Deegan report.

The Clare TD indicated yesterday he would stop the practice of making representations on behalf of convicted prisoners and their families. However he said he had no intention of resigning over the affair. "No, not at all," he told The Irish Times. "It was entirely within the political system, which is the way things ought to operate." There was no constitutional implication regarding his actions, he added.

According to Freedom of Information documents, Mr Killeen's office wrote two letters seeking the temporary release of Chris Cooney, who was convicted in 1992 of murdering Rob Lynch in Ennis. These are in addition to two other representations revealed in recent days, where Mr Killeen sought Cooney's early release. The latest letters to emerge were written to the Minister for justice Michael McDowell in 2003 and 2004 and signed by councillor Pat Daly, who is an adviser to Mr Killeen.

Government members moved yesterday to diffuse the controversy. In Co Cork, Mr McDowell said Mr Killeen was "a competent and decent minister" who had taken steps to change procedures at his constituency office."

What is it with the shower of crooked politicians that run this country? If just once one of them stood up and said 'yes it was me, it was my fault' we might have some respect for them, but between Bertie's tears and dinner money, Harney's mother, McDowell's everything and now this, one has to wonder is there a spine among them.