Govt taking media threat seriously, says Taoiseach

Updated / Friday, 6 Nov 2026 12:49

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the threats to RTÉ and other media organisations are "worrying" and that the Government is taking the threat seriously.

RTÉ and other media organisations around the country were evacuated today following a bomb threat.

The alarm was raised after an email was sent to the national broadcaster this morning, as well as scores of other media outlets across Ireland and Britain.

Staff were evacuated from the buildings on the Donnybrook campus and gardaí are at the scene.

Mr Martin said gardaí and the Defence Forces are working to establish who is behind the threat.

He said it has not yet been determined if the threats were made by an individual or a more coordinated group, but he said the Government would "go after this".

The Taoiseach said that the State has skilled experts now working to identify those responsible.

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Watch: Staff evacuated from building on RTÉ campus

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Tánaiste Simon Harris described the situation as "very serious".

In an interview with the Opinion Line on Cork's 96FM, Mr Harris said the situation was "evolving in real time".

"There is 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.

"It is fair to say we don't yet know who is responsible for what is happening this morning. We don’t yet know whether it's an individual behind this effort or some form of a coordinated effort.

"What I do want to ensure 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. They are working now on this issue.

"Of course they will be liaising as appropriate with European counterparts as well. The priority is that people are safe. We need to work to identify the culprits as well. I want people to know we are alive to these risks," said Mr Harris.

RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said: "On the basis of the information we had, we decided that we wanted to put the safety of the staff first and evacuate the buildings," he said.

Mr Bakhurst said the threat had caused "a lot of disruption" but added: "Luckily we have contingency plans in place - which we reviewed quite recently."

"It's a disgraceful attack on the media, on free media, and unfortunately, probably where it comes from, they don't really appreciate the importance of free media."

Threats 'completely unacceptable' - Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she is "deeply concerned by these threats".

"My thoughts are with the staff who were evacuated and with their families.

"I commend everyone who responded swiftly to ensure people's safety. These threats are completely unacceptable, and I hope the garda investigation establishes who is responsible and they face the full rigours of the law."

Threats 'deserve the strongest possible condemnation'

Social Democrats media spokesperson Sinéad Gibney said the threats made against the media organisations "deserve the strongest possible condemnation".

"In a time where more and more journalists globally are facing violence and intimidation, I send my support to those affected by what is currently happening across media offices in Dublin, including RTÉ, Newstalk and the Irish Independent, where staff have been evacuated.

"While the nature of the threat is unclear, the safety of those working in these organisations must be paramount. We must resist attempts to silence and threaten our media wherever they arise," she said.

The secretary of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland, Seamus Dooley, said the threat was a "deeply disturbing" attack on press freedom.