Minister refuses to quit over seeking early release of paedophile

Labour Affairs Minister Tony Killeen today refused to resign after it emerged that his Co Clare constituency office sent two letters to the Minister for Justice urging that a convicted child rapist be freed.

Mr Killeen insisted that he had only instructed his staff to write letters to the Irish Prison Service to draw attention to the poor health of his constituent Joseph Nugent, who was jailed for six years in 2002 for sex offences.