RTÉ PARTY FURORE DRAWS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS
NEARLY 300 public complaints have been made to RTÉ about the lack of social distancing at a controversial retirement party at the national broadcaster.
Last Friday, pictures emerged of top stars – including Miriam O’Callaghan, Bryan Dobson, David McCullagh and Eileen Dunne – posing for pictures at a farewell bash for a retiree, Phil Collins.
The images resulted in a torrent of complaints and an investigation by gardaí.
‘RTÉ has received approximately 200 emails and 80 calls about the gatheri ng from members of the public since Friday,’ an RTÉ spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the use of Garda time to investigate the alleged breaches of public health advice was questioned in the Seanad.
Senator Timmy Dooley said that ‘anyone who thinks it is a good use of Garda time to be hanging around Montrose wondering who sent out an email, and whether it complied with the strict letter of the guidelines, has a misunderstanding of how this State is policed’.
Gardaí met with senior RTÉ personnel at the station’s Donnybrook headquarters on Sunday.
The meeting is part of the force’s initial examination to determine if there were any breaches of Covid-19 regulations at the event. The penalties on conviction for breaching the regulation are a fine of up to €2,500 and/or six months in prison.
Independent senator Sharon Keogan argued that any public body that demands accountability from others ‘should be equally held to account’.
‘It is impossible to avoid comparison between the RTÉ party and so-called Golfgate,’ she said.
‘That event generated a media frenzy culminating in high-profile political resignations. Top- paid journalists in RTÉ demanded accountability for those in positions of power.’