Drug-taking tolerance report 'deeply unfair to RTE staff', says station
RTE has responded to criticism of its decision not to comment publicly on the details of the death of Gerry Ryan, including about the role played by cocaine in his death, which were released at his inquest.
The state broadcaster has said it refrained from offering comment on the nature of Mr Ryan's death out of respect and sympathy for the star's family.
In a statement, the former star's employer also rejected some suggestions that RTÉ is a tolerant place in respect of illegal drugs, saying "such claims are not only unwarranted and unfounded, they are deeply unfair to RTÉ’s staff".
An Garda Síochana has also responded to claims in a report in yesterday's Sunday Independent newspaper which alleged that senior gardaí were aware of the drug habits of some Irish celebrities but turned a blind eye to them.
In a statement yesterday, An Garda Síochana said these were serious allegations about members of the Gardaí based on anonymous sources and "without any apparent grounding in fact".
It says it takes such allegations of misconduct very seriously and the Garda Commissioner has tasked a Detective Superintendent to speak to the journalists and editor of the Sunday Independent, Aengus Fanning, to give them an opportunity to substantiate those allegations.
Journalist Jim Cusack, who wrote the report, said neither he nor the newspaper would be making any comment at this stage in relation to the Garda statement .
