Niall Collins has admitted it was a 'mistake' to write a letter on behalf of a man awaiting sentence for drug dealing – and he will not do it again.
The Fianna Fail Justice spokesman has come under fire since the letter was revealed in the course of a sentencing hearing in Limerick this week.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny described it as a 'direct intervention' in the administration of justice, but Deputy Collins insists he respects the independence of any sentencing judge.
He has revealed this morning it is not the first time he has been asked for support in such a case – but the circumstances of the children affected by this one motivated him to act.
"What I did was a mistake and I won't be doing it again" he said.
"I've been asked many time to do this before and I didn't do it – on this occasion I was particularly affected by the circumstances in which the four children found themselves, and I did it" he added.
