RTÉ has announced that it has suspended presenter Baz Ashmawy without pay for one month following a drink driving incident last weekend.
An RTÉ statement reads: "RTÉ takes the issue of drink driving very seriously and has a long history of highlighting and raising awareness of campaigns against this behaviour.
"The news, last weekend that one of RTÉ 2fm's presenters, Baz Ashmawy was arrested following an incident with his car in Dublin and the information that he has subsequently been charged with drink driving, is a serious issue.
"Given the age profile of the RTÉ 2fm audience and the number of people who listen to shows such as Baz's, this is something that RTÉ cannot ignore.
"We are relieved that the incident in question was a relatively minor one and unlike many more serious car crashes every year where lives are lost, thankfully, no-one was injured on this occasion.
"We are also pleased to learn that Mr Ashmawy has accepted the error of his actions and has apologised to all concerned.
"We further understand that he does not plan to contest any charges that may be brought and will accept any decision handed down by the district court in relation to this incident.
"With this in mind RTÉ Radio has decided to suspend Mr Ashmawy without pay for a period of one month.
"We believe this suspension is warranted to highlight the unacceptable nature of drink driving and the high profile nature of Mr Ashmawy's position on 2fm.
"As the events in question took place during personal time while he was not working for RTÉ and given his full acceptance of responsibility, we hope this suspension and whatever the outcome of any court proceedings will serve to highlight the issues involved and will act as a deterrent to others in the future."
