Why are they so silent? Because the actions of Tony Killeen's office, in making routine representations on behalf of constituents including a paedophile and a murderer - over 20,000 in any year - are the actions of every TD in the country, including Bertie Ahern, Michael McDowell, Enda Kenny, Pat Rabbitte, Trevor Sargent and Caoimhghín �? Caoláin.

It is the way our political system works - a cynical, clientelist and utterly pointless charade which poses as democracy in action by the elected representative on behalf of his constituent, but which is really nothing more than shameless self-aggrandisement.

TDs take part in it because, in multi-seat constituencies, they fear that if they are not seen to act on behalf of people who come to their 'clinics' - to get medical cards, to hasten planning applications, or to get a Christmas release from prison - they will lose votes to fellow TDs from their own party, or worse, to TDs from the opposition.

Thus begins the cynical and financially hugely wasteful cycle which consumes the time of TDs, minister and the civil servants who have to process the queries, 99% of which could have been dealt with by a direct call to the organisation primarily involved.

If by speaking out on behalf of her son and her family, Nora Lynch jolts our TDs out of their complacency, she will have achieved much.

Every action has a reaction. To plead for the early release of a killer who acted with such savagery is bound to reverberate on his victim.

Mrs Lynch spoke so beautifully of her son Rob. He was a pacifist who tried to intervene in a row between Christopher Cooney and his ex-wife. Cooney whipped out a Stanley knife that he kept strapped to his ankle with elastoplast and slit young Rob's throat. Within five seconds he was dead. "And that was the end of our poor Rob?" The Lynch family have been unable to get any early release from their pain. Rob's sister Emma committed suicide because she could not come to terms with her lovely brother's savage end. Another son gave up a successful landscaping business and now lives as a recluse.

The family had come here from England so the young teenagers could grow up safely in Clare. "What eejits we were, " said Mrs Lynch, her helpless shrug a wordless indictment of all that is crass in our political system.

Tony Killeen has apologised publicly to Mrs Lynch and her family and to the taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. He clearly wants to make amends but sorry is another country in terms of the loss suffered by victims of serious crime.

It can't be beyond our politicians to learn something from this. Nobody advocates preventing people with problems from asking for help from their elected representatives. But can TDs not put in place systems within their own offices which give meaning to the representations they make? If they looked more carefully at each petition, their word would carry more weight than just being a conduit for complaint.

Tony Killeen says he will no longer make representations on behalf of convicted prisoners or their families. But this is as ridiculous as writing letters on people's behalf without ascertaining all the facts. There may well be many prisoners who are very deserving of early release and of the intervention of a sympathetic local representative.

It's clear that a system of representation by rote has grown up. What we now need are strict guidelines and greater transparency. A system whereby all representations by TDs were published and subject to public scrutiny would go a long way towards rebuilding confidence. It should also be mandatory that copies of all political representations on behalf of convicted criminals should be sent to their victims.

This isn't confined to the Department of Justice, it is a practice that infects the entire body politic. But, given the number of representations made, we could start with the most controversial areas - justice, health and planning - and expand from there.

Nora Lynch should not have to go on national radio and television to point out the obvious discourtesy done to her and her family before a more meaningful system is put in place.