First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said she was “aghast and horrified” that two Sinn Féin press officers gave references on behalf of a former colleague who was subsequently convicted of child sex offences.
Ms O’Neill defended her handling of the controversy, telling reporters: “I think I discharged, well, I know I discharged my duty ... whenever this came to my attention last Wednesday that both individuals had provided references, I took immediate action.
“I am horrified by their actions. This should not have happened. There’s no equivocation about it. It is wrong. It should not have happened,” she said. “Had either of the individuals asked me for permission, it would not have been granted ... I consider this gross misconduct.”
Seán Mag Uidhir, an influential Sinn Féin strategist who headed the party’s media operation in the North, and another press officer, Caolán McGinley, quit at the weekend after it emerged they provided references for Michael McMonagle.
McMonagle (42), from Limewood Street, Derry, pleaded guilty last week to two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and 12 counts of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates from 2020-21.
He was suspended from his press office job with Sinn Féin after he was arrested in August 2021. He was appointed to the role of communications and engagement manager with the British Heart Foundation in Belfast in September 2022. The charges against him became public in July of last year when they were revealed by the Sunday World newspaper.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the charity said it was “first made aware of the arrest of and subsequent criminal charges against the individual on Saturday 29th July, 2023 and we suspended him as soon as possible on Monday 31st July, 2023.
“As of 17th August, 2023 he no longer worked for the BHF following a thorough internal investigation,” it added.
“The individual took up his position in September 2022 following the provision of two professional references – neither of which raised a concern about his suitability for employment or referenced an ongoing police investigation or suspension from his previous employment.”
Sinn Féin said it did not become aware until last week “that three months after Michael McMonagle’s employment ended, two former work colleagues were asked for work references”, which were provided “without clearance from Sinn Féin”.
The party said it undertook an “immediate internal process” but “both press officers resigned from their positions and party membership with immediate effect” before it concluded.
In response to a query from The Irish Times, Sinn Féin said McMonagle informed the party on August 20th 2021 that he had been arrested by the PSNI on August 19th and questioned “in relation to a serious criminal offence of a child protection nature”.
The party said on August 20th 2021 McMonagle was suspended from Sinn Féin and from his employment as a press officer, and his employment ended in June 2022 “when his employment contract ended”.
Ms O’Neill was questioned by reporters and in an Executive Office committee meeting on Wednesday about her presence at an event in Stormont in February 2023, organised by the British Heart Foundation, to support the six-year-old organ donation campaigner Daíthí Mac Gabhann, which McMonagle attended.
“Do you not feel it would have been appropriate for you or someone else in Sinn Féin to have informed the British Heart Foundation that Mr McMonagle had been suspended from his employment with your party due to serious allegations prior to taking up his post?” DUP MLA Brian Kingston asked.
The First Minister said she “did not know anything about Michael McMonagle’s whereabouts or employment”.
She said “whenever it comes to a police investigation, police must do their job” and if a former employee applied for another job, “there’s due diligence required from that new employer also”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fine Gael TDs were ruled out of order in the Dáil when they attempted to raise McMonagle’s case. Taoiseach Simon Harris later made a veiled reference to the issue when he said he would not take any “moralistic lectures on child protection” from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald after she said there was no provision in Budget 2025 for scoliosis surgery.
Fine Gael TD Ciarán Cannon had called for time to be set aside for Ms McDonald “to make a statement on the issue of child abuse committed by a member of Sinn Féin and the furnishing of character references for that person by the members deputy McDonald’s team, it’s crucial that these questions are answered and answered in a timely fashion”.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl ruled him out of order and said the business of the week had already been scheduled.
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