Presidential candidate Senator David Norris claimed today he is unable to release controversial clemency letters he wrote on behalf of his former partner because of legal constraints.
Speaking this morning, Mr Norris again defended his decision not to publish the documents from 1997 in which he appealed for clemency for Ezra Nawi, who was convicted of statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy.
Mr Norris, who secured his place on the official presidential candidate list last night, said he had been advised by his legal team not to publish the documents.
"I am absolutely restricted by questions of privacy,” he said. "I understand people's interest but I've been told by my lawyers that these letters are subject to professional legal privilege and I've been told I cannot publish them.
The Trinity Senator stressed that the unpublished letters, which were written to senior politicians in Ireland and Israel, were similar to those already released.
"It was a sad and horrible case and I was shocked and appalled by it. But I have to underline that the core letters are substantially the same It is the same information as the letter that I sent and which are in the public domain," he told RTÉ Radio's Today With Pat Kenny show this morning.
Mr Norris added he did not think there was anything in the unpublished letters that could cause him embarrassment. However, he apologised for anyone who may have been upset by the contents of the documents.
"Can I say from the bottom of my heart that I know that every time these issues arise they cause pain to the victims and I want to apologise humbly to anybody to whom I have caused pain," he said. "It was a sad and horrible case and I was shocked and appalled by it."
Mr Norris said he “abhorred abuse of children with every fibre of his being” and has worked with survivor groups in the past.
He said would consider reading the unpublished clemency letters into the record of the Senate.
He also stressed that he had written “thousands of clemency letters” in the past, including ones for Tibetan monks and the people of East Timor.
Mr Norris said he wanted to move on from the issue of the clemency letters and believed the electorate did as well. "The Irish people want an election, they don't want an inquisition," he said.
Reacting to suggestions that he was being less than open with the public, Mr Norris said he believed he was “about the most transparent person in politics today.”
During the interview, Mr Norris defended his supporters, some of whom have been criticised for attacking politicians who refused to back him.
