A TD today denied seeking the early release of a convicted paedophile.
Fine Gael deputy, Pat Breen, asked the Dail when 74-year-old sex offender Joseph Nugent, from Dromellihy, Cree, Co Clare, would be eligible to leave prison.
Nugent, a bachelor farmer of 65 acres, near Kilrush, was jailed four years ago after subjecting his neighbour's son to a six year campaign of sex abuse, starting when the victim was just eight.
He was found guilty in 2002 of buggery with the child 23 times and indecently assaulting him on a further 24 occasions. In 2004, he was given a further six-year concurrent sentence for other offences.
In a written question to Justice Minister Michael McDowell, Deputy Breen asked when the convicted sex offender would qualify for early release.
Mr McDowell replied: "In view of the very serious nature of these offences, I am not prepared to authorise any form of early release in this case."
Mr Breen insisted he was not seeking Nugent's early release but was looking to establish his expected release date from Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, after a "legitimate" query from a relative of the paedophile.
"I never made representations to have this convicted man released, nor would I. I'm a family man," said Mr Breen.
"This was simply a point of information with the Department of Justice."
He continued: "An elderly relative of the convicted man contacted me, on a very legitimate query, seeking clarification to know when this man would be released and I submitted it in a parliamentary question.
"In hindsight now, I suppose, maybe the question should have been worded very differently, because it did leave it open for people to interpret in a different way."
Mr Breen said relations of Nugent were under the impression he would be freed next year or the year after.
There was a "certain amount of confusion" over the date, he said.
He told RTE radio: "I deplore his crimes and the acts he committed and I want to make that quite clear.
"I would never represent this man. Neither would I seek to alter the course of justice in relation to this."
PA