Independent Newspapers apologises for Lawlor coverage

The management of Independent Newspapers has apologised for the inaccurate coverage of Liam Lawlor's death.

Reports in several Sunday papers owned by the group claimed that the former Fianna Fáil TD was in the company of a prostitute when his car crashed in Moscow at the weekend.

However, it has been established that the woman worked for Mr Lawlor as an interpreter, and Michael Denieffe, the Managing Editor has said he will now launch an internal investigation into the incident.

The National Union of Journalists said that in this case it was obvious that the facts had not been checked “fully and completely” and that there were “serious questions to be answered by the Irish newspaper industry".

The NUJ’s Seamus Dooley said that yesterday’s media coverage was a “black day for Irish journalism".