Minister meets victim’s mother to apologise

BELEAGUERED Junior Minister Tony Killeen yesterday met with the mother of a murdered man to apologise in person for requesting the killer’s early release — but further revelations of requests for early prisoner releases have come to light.

The north Clare minister met with the mother of murder victim Robert Lynch to apologise for his office’s requests for the early release of her son’s killer Christopher Cooney.

After the meeting at Nora Lynch’s house in Kinsale, Co Cork, she said Mr Killeen had been very humble and she described their conversation as fruitful.

Early this week she had called for his resignation for failing to contact victims before his constituency office made requests for early release.

“I want ministers to step out of the arena and let people who are trained to deal with prisoners and the parole board take it on. Victims and their families should be taken into consideration in a better way,” she said.

The junior industry minister has repeatedly defended himself by saying he did not know the letters were being sent with his name.

He said he did not have a policy of checking all letters sent from his constituency office and he has been supported in this by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who has dismissed calls for a resignation.

Ms Lynch said she now accepted Mr Killeen had not meant any harm.

“It was not until he saw me on television that he realised what he had done caused us such pain. At least he is making amends and he is doing his best,” she said.

Robert was just 22 when he was killed by Cooney, after intervening in a row in an Ennis bar 16 years ago.

Cooney is currently serving a life sentence.

However, the meeting came as more damaging information on Mr Killeen’s record became public.

Details of 17 requests made by his office to the Department of Justice include petitions on behalf of Clare-born Continuity IRA leader Michael Hegarty.

Mr Hegarty was jailed in 1997 after he was found trying to smuggle a 1,300lb bomb into Northern Ireland.

A statement from Mr Killeen’s office said he made the request in 2002 on medical grounds after being contacted by deceased peace campaigner Fr Denis Faul.

He said it was his policy for several years not to request early release for prisoners but he did consider requesting transfers on health grounds.

However, he said in light of the outrage expressed by Ms Lynch he would not be writing similar letters in the future.

The latest revelations come after it first emerged a letter in Mr Killeen’s name had sought the early release of child abuser Joseph Nugent in 2005.