TD Shane Ross wrote to the National Transport Authority after a constituent had her car clamped to “strongly ask” it reconsider the penalty.

The Transport Minister contacted the State agency, which is answerable to him, after the woman’s car was immobilised at Stillorgan Luas station car park on February 10.

It appears from correspondence released under Freedom of Information that she had typed in the wrong registration number for her car when paying for her parking over the phone by text message, and her appeal to the car park operators NCPS was rejected.

De-clamping costs up to €125.

NTA chief executive Anne Graham personally responded to Mr Ross to say his constituent could have appealed again to the State agency’s “clamping appeals officer” after her original appeal was dismissed.

She said there was a “two-stage appeals process” against car clamping but second appeals must be made within 30 days of the original rejection.

A separate procedure allows for complaints to be made within 60 days, she added.

Although the time limits for both had lapsed by April 18, Mr Ross wrote back to Ms Graham saying: “I would strongly ask that you consider” the woman’s appeal because the car park operator never gave her the NTA’s contact details.

He argued that this meant she was unable to make her second appeal within 30 days.

The Minister further asked the NTA chief executive to “liaise” with the car park operator to ensure it gave out this information in future.

The letter is signed: Shane Ross, Independent TD, Dublin Rathdown, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Hugh Creegan, deputy chief executive, then wrote to Mr Ross on May 4.

Quoting the Vehicle Clamping Act 2015, he pointed out its provisions on making appeals within the time limits.

He said the woman was told by the car park operators in three separate letters to make a second stage appeal to the NTA.

But he acknowledged that there was “limited information” issued to drivers about the appeals process and “we are in communication with the company in relation to addressing this issue”.