Murphy was elected to the 29th Dail at the 2002 general election, ousting his Fine Gael running-mate, three-term TD Michael Creed. He was Fine Gael's deputy spokesperson on Justice.
At the 2002 general election, Murphy secured a seat in the 29th Dail and took over from his Fine Gael colleague, three-term TD Michael Creed. He was responsible for representing Fine Gael's views on Justice issues.