Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has ordered a “complete overhaul” of governance procedures within her party after two former party press officers provided references for their ex-colleague Michael McMonagle, who has been convicted of child sex offences.
Pressure has been building on Ms McDonald to address questions about the ongoing controversy after it emerged that Seán Mag Uidhir, an influential and long-standing Sinn Féin figure who headed its media operation in the North, and his colleague, Caolán McGinley, left the party after it was revealed that they provided the references for McMonagle.
Last month, McMonagle (42), from Limewood Street in Derry, pleaded guilty 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 is due to be sentenced next month.
McMonagle was suspended from his press officer job with Sinn Féin after he was arrested in August 2021, and in September 2022 was appointed to the role of communications manager with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) charity in Belfast.
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After days of scrutiny on the issue, Ms McDonald issued a statement condemning the actions of the two former Sinn Féin members and promising an overhaul of governance structures within the party.
“There must always be accountability for wrongdoing. That is why I took decisive action when I was made aware on Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, that two staff members had provided job references to Michael McMonagle. Those who gave these references in this case were guilty of gross misconduct and they no longer work for the party and are no longer members of the party.”
Ms McDonald said she had asked the party’s incoming general secretary to “immediately initiate a complete overhaul of governance procedures”.
“We will do everything necessary to ensure that an incident like this never arises again. The general secretary will take external professional advice in this work.”
It emerged at the weekend the BHF informed a senior Sinn Féin human resources (HR) manager in the North about the references in August last year. The manager failed to alert Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill and the party leadership about the contact, which Ms O’Neill has admitted was a “serious omission”.
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Addressing the Stormont Assembly yesterday after multiple urgent questions were submitted about the affair, Ms O’Neill said the HR manager was no longer an employee but was still a party member.
Sinn Féin did not respond to queries from The Irish Times about when the HR manager left his/her job and why he/she retained his/her party membership.
The Stormont leader of the Opposition, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, said the “concerning” development raises “more unanswered questions”.
“It’s extremely unusual that the person remains a member of Sinn Féin. The other two members who provided references for McMonagle have been stripped of their membership. That’s clearly anomalous,” he said. “This person, from what we found out today, was not only aware of McMonagle’s arrest, they were involved in the disciplinary process that led to his suspension in 2021. I don’t know the individual’s identity but it is also concerning that we don’t know the circumstances around how they left. I welcome the fact that Michelle O’Neill gave some answers today but there are still many outstanding questions.”
[ Michael McMonagle controversy timeline from 2021 arrest to Sinn Féin apologyOpens in new window ]
Addressing the Assembly, Ms O’Neill said she was “deeply sorry” for the “reputational damage” caused to the BHF.
“I want to be very, very clear that the issue of child safeguarding is of paramount importance to me and I will do everything that I can to ensure that a situation like this never arises again,” she said.
Ms McDonald also said she would “ensure that there are clear processes so that there are no grey areas whatsoever where an individual has been suspended or ends their employment with Sinn Féin, to ensure that there are no future issues in relation to handing back work passes and to make absolutely clear that references cannot be provided by individual members of staff”.
Ministers from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have called on Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl to adjourn normal Dáil business to allow for statements to be made by Ms McDonald in relation to the controversy.
Fine Gael Minister of State for EU Affairs Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Fianna Fáil Minister of State for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte have written to Mr Ó Fearghaíl saying that “in light of very serious child protection issues in the public sphere” it is “imperative” that Ms McDonald should update the Dáil on the matter.
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