Staff at Ireland’s national broadcaster have been evacuated following a bomb threat at its television and radio headquarters in Dublin.
It is understood that other media organisations in Ireland were also sent threats on Friday morning.
The incidents came after bomb threats were sent to airlines across Europe, including one targeting flights from Dublin, over recent days.
The emailed threats to media outlets were received ahead of a week when Ireland will host two major European political summits as part of its six-month presidency of the EU Council.
RTÉ Radio One went off air around 9am and replaced its programme Today With David McCullagh with a pre-recorded programme of music.
The show returned later in the morning, with McCullagh presenting from a mobile broadcasting truck as gardaí continued to search the RTÉ buildings
Staff including radio and television presenters at the Montrose campus were told to leave the studio buildings after the email was received on Friday morning.
Children being looked after in a creche on site were also evacuated.
McCullagh later told listeners that the threat warned that a bomb would explode within 45 minutes.
Irish police, including the armed response unit, attended the site.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that having spoken to the Garda Commissioner jand “officials involved in security”, he is of the view that the emails sent to media organisations in Ireland, the UK, and Europe are part of a Europe-wide coordinated approach.
“Yesterday, we had significant threats to airlines and to air travel, and clearly there are elements out there who are anxious to sow as much disruption and create fear and anxiety among people, not just here but across Europe,” he said.
“Gardaí’s first duty is to rigorously investigate, which they will. They are working with international security partners in terms of coordinating the investigation, and they are also sharing intelligence and learning from others.
“There are efforts afoot globally, certainly within Europe, to create disruption, sow the seeds of anxiety and fear among populations.”
Speaking at an Attestation Ceremony for Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Student Officers in Belfast, Mr Martin said there would be a significant security operation in place for the Ireland’s meetings of heads of state next week, but that it’s important to note that so far none the threats have come to fruition.
“So that is an ongoing investigative situation, but he threat hasn’t been materialised, and the same yesterday, so I think we have to keep things in perspective,” he said.
“A lot of preparation has gone into this from a security perspective, we have been very clear for a lot of months out that this is the biggest security and policing operation ever, greater than even the visit of the US president.
“I think it is an important point to make that these these are threats that have not materialised following investigation and so on, and searching and all that entails, but certainly in the context of the big meetings next week, every eventuality would have been, you know, sort of gamed well in advance.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government was “alive” to the risks associated with the types of threats received by Irish media outlets on Friday.
“There’s a very serious and evolving situation this morning, and obviously this comes on the back of a number of bomb scares yesterday and in recent days in relation to airlines as well,” he told Cork 96FM.
“So this is evolving in real time. I think it’s fair to say we don’t yet know who is responsible for what’s happening this morning. We don’t yet know whether it’s an individual behind this effort or some form of a co-ordinated effort.
“But what I do want to assure the people of this country is that this is an issue being taken very seriously by the gardaí, by our security forces and our cyber experts.
“So they’re working now on this issue and of course they’ll be liaising as appropriate with European counterparts as well.
“The priority is that people are safe, but we need to work to identify the culprits as well.
“And I want people to know that we’re alive to these risks.”
In a statement on the bomb threat against the national broadcaster, RTÉ said: “RTÉ, along with a range of media organisations, received a threat this morning.
“In line with our security and safety protocols, the campus has been evacuated and some services are affected.
“Gardaí are on site in Donnybrook.”
A Garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána is aware of a threat made against media organisations here and in Europe.
“An Garda Síochána has been liaising with the Irish media organisations and the threats will be investigated.”
Share