RTE has begun an internal investigation after a man named as a Garda "agent" involved in undercover drug operations was apparently inadvertently identified in a Prime Time television documentary this week.
Thursday's Prime Time alleged that a Garda agent imported drugs through Rosslare and Ringaskiddy ports in the mid-1990s. The Garda authorities seized some of the drugs and secured convictions. It was claimed, however, that other drugs were allowed to reach the criminal gang.
The allegations were made by a former garda from Cork who was interviewed for the programme.
RTE sources confirmed last night that an informant whose name was to have been electronically blotted out had not been deleted in all cases in the broadcast. The station was conducting an "urgent investigation" to find out how this had occurred.
Asked how the individual had come to be named by RTE, Mr Gary Agnew, the editor of Prime Time, said: "There is an investigation going on into that. It is being looked into." He declined to comment further.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday that it was "totally inappropriate" for the programme to partially identify an individual who may or may not have been in contact with the Garda in relation to a controlled operation. Nothing inappropriate had occurred in relation to any Garda operation which may have been referred to in the Prime Time programme, he said.
Such controlled activities were not uncommon and had a role in the apprehension of people involved in drugs operations or subversive activities, the spokesman said. In a lot of these cases the Garda was dealing with "extremely ruthless people" and the operations were highly dangerous.
Speaking separately to The Irish Times, Supt John Farrelly, of the Garda Press Office, said the Garda had not issued any statement that officers were involved in importing illegal drugs into the State. It had responded to media queries about the Prime Time programme and had said the Garda was involved in "controlled operations" in the Cork area a number of years ago which involved monitoring the movement of drugs into the State.
While the Garda did not comment on individual operations, Supt Farrelly said that where Garda officers may have attempted to get close to the nucleus of a gang "over a period of years", they would "obviously not have prevented the drugs getting to where they were going". This was in order to trace the individuals involved. It was "not the same" as Garda officers "importing" drugs into the State, as alleged in the programme.
Mrs Nora Owen (FG), who was minister for justice at the time of the alleged incidents, said the Garda would never discuss such operations in detail with her. She could understand if drugs were allowed into the State in order to capture somebody, but "would not be happy" if it was the case that the drugs were allowed back on to the streets to reach addicts.