Recording of cocaine claim 'not retained'- author

Author Justine Delaney-Wilson has said she did make a digital recording of her interview with a Minister who allegedly admitted taking cocaine, but that the recording no longer exists.

An internal RTÉ investigation has been ordered into the matter after the claim about the Minister was broadcast in a TV documentary, High Society, last week.

RTÉ said last night it had commissioned a "new report into all aspects of the production and commissioning of the report".

Ms Delaney-Wilson's statement last night follows one made on Friday by RTÉ that "there are no audio recordings of the politician. In the case of the politician, RTÉ Television relied upon the extensive contemporaneous notes which fully record this individual's testimony."

High Society, about cocaine use among the middle-classes in Ireland, was based on a book of the same name by Ms Delaney-Wilson, in which she claimed a Government Minister told her: "Yes, I do take drugs - just coke though - regularly enough. I'm certainly not the only one around here that does. The hypocrisy that surrounds it really galls me."

When RTÉ broadcast the second part last week, the quote was attributed to a politician and not a Minister.

Ms Delaney-Wilson and RTÉ were yesterday accused by the Government of trivialising the issue of cocaine use and of failing to authenticate the claim about the Minister.

Yesterday, the Minister responsible for drugs policy, Pat Carey, called on RTÉ to clarify exactly what records they had.

"Whatever they have, whether they have contemporaneous notes or whatever, as I said previously, they should be handed over to the gardaí. Either the notes or a recording exist, or if they don't exist, RTÉ should, in the public interest, say so.

"If any other media organisation equivocated to the extent that RTÉ has done in the last number of days, I think the hounds of journalism would be baying after them. I was hoping we could have an authentic interrogation of the whole issue."

Pressed on the issue last night, a spokesman for the Taoiseach said: "It is a matter for RTÉ. They more than anyone would be aware of the damage that this type of programme can do to the credibility of public service broadcasting."

On RTÉ's Drivetime programme on October 4th, Ms Delaney-Wilson said she did have a recording of the interview and that she was keeping it safe.

However, last night in a statement, she said she made a digital recording of the interviewing, but strictly on the basis that it was for her use only and that it would not be disclosed to anybody else.

"I have not retained the digital recording," she explained.

Earlier, RTÉ commissioning editor of factual programming Kevin Dawson admitted that he had not heard her claim on October 4th that a tape recording of the interview existed.

Under repeated questioning from Seán O'Rourke on RTÉ's News at One programme, he said: "She has a question to answer why she has given two different accounts. We weren't aware of it until today.

"We have had our own conversations with her, as have the publishers, as have the production companies, and the consistent point to us is that the interview with the politician was note-recorded."

He said he was "troubled" by the remarks she made on the Drivetime programme and would raise the issue with her when she returned from holidays.

Mr O'Rourke suggested to him that it "beggars belief" that a politician would "go along to Buswell's Hotel and sit down, albeit off the record, and put on tape an admission of criminal activity".

Mr Dawson responded by saying it would be far more credible for a politician to give a notes-based interview in such circumstances.

RTE statement

In a statement issued late last night RTÉ said:

RTÉ Television based its two-part documentary, High Society, on the book The High Society by Justine Delaney Wilson, published by Gill & MacMillan earlier this autumn, with the programmes broadcast this month.

The book was the primary project and the author committed to full disclosure of materials and other information to the publishers. The programme's project was secondary to this and drew on the research, analysis and personal testimonies gathered by Justine Delaney Wilson. This material was reinforced through interviews with experts in the areas of drug rehabilitation and drug crime.

The production company, Big Mountain, were commissioned by RTÉ Television to make the programmes. As in all commissions, RTÉ required the production company to check, verify and present as legally satisfactory all materials being brought to air. The production company liaised extensively with the author and was provided with a very full range of sound recordings of interviews by her.

An RTÉ senior executive spoke directly to the author and formed an overall view of the author's reliability and truthfulness on the basis of access to sound recordings of her interviews, which RTÉ was satisfied were authentic and genuine.

The RTÉ senior executive received assurances from the CEO and lawyer for Gill & Macmillan as to the authenticity of the interview notes provided to them and examined by them on foot of their primary contract with the author.

RTÉ's understanding was that the "politician interview" was supplied in a note, not in a sound recording, which is why the playback of the interview given by the author to Drivetime on 4 October, and her further statement of today, were of concern. In the light of these statements we will be looking for her to clarify further.

In the meantime, Noel Curran, MD of RTÉ Television, has commissioned a detailed report from the Television Programmes Division, covering all aspects of the commissioning and production of the two-part documentary High Society. Based on its content, Noel Curran will decide on any future action. RTÉ Television will decline to comment further until the report is completed.

'High Society' controversy

Drivetime:October 4th

Mary Wilson:What happened in the case of the Government Minister?

Justine Delaney-Wilson:In that case, I do have a recording.

Mary Wilson:You have a recording and you are keeping thatsome place safe?

Justine Delaney-Wilson:I certainly am.

November 16th: RTÉ statement:"All of the original material, both recorded and in note form, including that from the politician, has been interrogated fully. Recordings do exist. Notes exist."

Later on November 16th:

"There are no audio recordings of the politician. In the case of the politician, RTÉ Television relied upon the extensive contemporaneous notes which fully record this individual's testimony."

November 19th:

Justine Delaney-Wilson:"I did make a digital recording of that interview with the person's consent, but strictly on the basis that it was for my use only . . . I have not retained the digital recording."

Kevin Dawson , RTÉ commissioning editor factual programming:"She has a question to answer why she has given two different accounts. We weren't aware of it until today. We have had our own conversations with her, as have the publishers, as have the production companies, and the consistent point to us is that the interview with the politician was note-recorded."