The Justice Secretary said many people were “very upset” by a documentary featuring interviews with notorious drug dealer John Gilligan.
Helen McEntee said she will not be watching the first episode of Virgin Media’s Confessions Of A Crime Boss, which was due to air on Monday night.
Her comments come after Jimmy Guerin, brother of slain journalist Veronica Guerin, criticized the documentary series featuring drug dealer Gilligan.
The investigative reporter was murdered by members of Gilligan’s drug gang in 1996.
Gilligan was acquitted of murdering Ms Guerin in 2001 after a 43-day trial at the Special Criminal Court.
Judge Diarmuid O’Donovan said the court had “serious suspicions” that Gilligan was involved in Ms Guerin’s murder, but the evidence presented at the trial was not enough to convict him.
However, Gilligan was later sentenced to 28 years in prison for drug trafficking that same year.
Ms McEntee was asked about the controversy surrounding the documentary on Monday afternoon before it aired.
“To be quite honest, this is a man who has created misery for so many people in so many communities and I know there are many people, families and communities who are very upset by the fact that this documentary is on tonight,” she said.
Ireland
Many people are “very upset” by John Gilligan’s interview…
“He is a man who has been convicted of very serious crimes and I, for one, certainly won’t watch him.
“I think the producers should perhaps think about what they are trying to achieve by showing this programme. But this is a man who has been convicted of very serious drug-trafficking crimes and who has caused unspeakable misery to people and, as I said, I certainly won’t watch that and I know a lot of people who won’t either. “
Virgin Media has been approached for comment.