RTE has a moral duty to address the issue of drug abuse

Gerry Ryan always had a reputation for being controversial: our very own home-grown shock jock. Granted, relative to his predecessors and contemporaries in RTE, Ryam probably did stand out from the crowd, but he certainly was no Howard Stern or Russell Brand…up until now, that is. The confirmation that cocaine played a part in the broadcaster's death has been the impetus for a countrywide debate about the prevalence of drug use in Irish so-called high society, with RTE staff in particular coming under the spotlight. According to the Irish Independent, former RTE presenter Gareth O'Callaghan is about to show that he belongs to the minority of men that can actually be called men; he has spoken openly about the ubiquity of drug-use in RTE and is prepared to name Ryan's supplier to Gardai. Not an easy stand to take in this hypocritical, self-preserving society of ours. Juxtaposed with O'Callaghan is Ryan Tubridy - and it really is obvious now why Tubridy did such a good job on The Late Late Toy Show – both host and toy-testers were of one mind. Sounding like a 13-year-old female victim of berserk hormones, Tubridy pleaded for people to let Gerry Ryan rest in peace. Okay, Mr Tubridy, which side would you like you bread buttered? For you can't have it both ways. Be it fair or unfair, celebrities have no real claim to privacy. These men and women sell themselves, lock, stock and barrel to the public – it's an 'all or nothing' sort of deal. Gerry Ryan was an intelligent, realistic man whose popularity was built on openness, candour and an endearing ability to empathise with his listeners. Hence, this plea for silence on the issue of drug abuse really is offensively opposed to the ethos upon which Ryan built his career. Tubridy reminded listeners that Ryan was there for them every morning. The reality is that Gerry was paid to be there every morning - handsomely paid, even ridiculously well-paid. Yes, Gerry Ryan gave solace and comfort to his listeners every morning, but so do the many volunteers who man helplines day and night in this country – with absolutely no financial rewards. And this is where irony and hypocrisy are taken to a nauseating level. All Irish households that have a television set are forced, by law, to buy a licence, the procedes of which are used to inflate both the egos and pay-cheques of RTE staff. Regardless of whether we watch RTE or not, pay we must. The penalty for failing to pay this fee is imprisonment. Yes, people can, and have, gone to jail for not partaking in this farce of indulging the small, elite circle that is RTE. Men and women can be taken from their families, thrown into a cell and the door locked behind them for this petty, insignificant offence. Yet, when it is proven in a public coroner's court that one of the highest profile broadcasters in RTE participated in a genuinely illegal activity, management in this organisation chooses to say absolutely nothing on the subject. Let's get this straight – our State broadcaster is part of the insanity of jailing people for not paying their TV licence, yet it stays quiet about an activity that ruins countless lives every day of every year in every corner of this country. How reassuring. Well, this just won't do. RTE has set itself up as a moral authority in Ireland, and purports to provide a public service broadcast which educates, entertains, informs and caters for all members of the community. After all, are they not the ones belting out The Angelus every evening? If ever all members of the community needed information and education, we desperately need it now in this area of wanton drug abuse, and RTE has a moral duty to provide this. The notion of cocaine being synonymous with all things glamorous really does need to be addressed. How glamorous will Gerry Ryan's children feel as they plod through the ice and cold to lay flowers on their father's cold grave this Christmas? How glamorous will their mother feel as she spends the day worrying about the effects of her former husband's drug addiction and early death on her children? The issue of drug addiction may well be still too raw, too painful and too personal for the Ryan family to speak about publicly; but it is unforgivable for RTE not to use this opportunity to try to save other families from this needless heartache. Isn't it time we started treating all our citizens equally?