Gogarty received an email in early 2005 from John Twohig, who was serving a four-year prison sentence for drugs offences. Twohig had been denied admission to a prison programme which would have allowed him temporary release. He sought Gogarty's support with a second application.

Gogarty replied that he would "put a question into the Minister for Justice asking if he will consider your application in light of the information you forwarded me. The answer should be up on the Oireachtas website under written answer next Wednesday. If you cannot find this, contact my office again." In his reply, justice minister Michael McDowell said he had "carefully examined the case, " but was not prepared to approve the temporary release request.

This weekend Gogarty said he had not heard from Twohig after the initial correspondence and suspected he had also contacted other TDs. "If there were guidelines it would make it a lot easier for TDs to say no to constituents. In this case I was merely making an inquiry as opposed to making a representation. I didn't know the prisoner. I never met him or any members of his family, " the Dublin Mid-West TD said.

Despite a week of controversy over representations made on behalf of a convicted murderer and a convicted rapist the position of Fianna Fáil junior minister Tony Killeen appeared secure this weekend. There is little opposition appetite to pursue the matter. A Labour Party spokesman said, "based on the information to have emerged to date, we do not believe there is any basis on which to call for Mr Killeen's resignation." A Fine Gael spokesman said, "Minister Killeen's position ultimately is at the discretion of the Taoiseach."

Fianna Fáil TD Pat Carey last night supported Gogarty's call for a review of the representation system. "Some latitude needs to be given to members of parliament. I would prefer not to have to deal with these type of cases but we do so long as people ask, " the Dublin North West TD said.