Sinn Féin 'overhaul' after McMonagle references

Mary Lou McDonald has said she has ordered "a complete overhaul of governance procedures" in Sinn Féin after references were given for former party press officer Michael McMonagle.

McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, is awaiting sentencing after admitting to a series of child sex offences last month.

He was employed by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in September 2022 after references given by former colleagues in Sinn Féin did not raise concerns about his suitability for employment.

In a statement issued on Monday, McDonald said she was disgusted by the crimes of McMonagle and said the decision of two former Sinn Féin staff members to give him a reference was "unforgivable and absolutely unacceptable".

"I have asked the incoming General Secretary to immediately initiate a complete overhaul of governance procedures within the party," McDonald said in her statement.

"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.

McDonald added she will ensure "clear processes" are in place so anyone suspended or who ends their employment with Sinn Féin will have no "future issues in relation to handing back passes and to make absolutely clear that references cannot be provided by individual members of staff."

"I deeply regret that the British Heart Foundation has been caught up in an issue, not of their making.

"I apologise for the distress that has been caused by these events. I am committed to ensuring that an incident like this is never repeated again."

Earlier on Monday, Michelle O'Neill has said she is "deeply sorry" for the reputational damage caused to a charity during the fallout of how Sinn Féin dealt with former press officer Michael McMonagle.

The first minister made the comments while answering urgent questions in the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA) over the matter.

Speaking in the assembly on Monday afternoon, O'Neill repeated this apology, and said she is "absolutely and totally committed to ensuring that the strongest and most robust child protection and safeguarding processes and policies are in place".

"As a mother and a grandmother, I assert my absolute determination, both political and personal, to protect all children," she said.

O'Neill added: "The issues that have arisen over recent days result primarily from the actions of two former press officers, who have now resigned from their employment and Sinn Féin."

Earlier, the head of the BHF in Northern Ireland said workers were dismayed when senior Sinn Féin members appeared to question the organisation's due diligence in relation to the recruitment.

Last week, O'Neill said there were lessons for a lot of people in terms of "due diligence for an employer when they take on an employee”.

Mr McKinney said O'Neill has since "expressed regret", privately, about the comments.

Following her statement, O'Neill was then questioned by a number of MLAs about McMonagle.

DUP MLA Diane Dodds, who submitted the urgent question to O'Neill asked "how the people of Northern Ireland can have confidence when you appear not to know the facts, refuse to be fulsome in your explanation, and deny responsibility, apologising only for the press officers and not the Sinn Féin cover-up?"

O'Neill responded by saying she welcomed the fact that she had the opportunity to set the record straight.

''I want the public to be assured that safeguarding is of paramount importance to me, particularly when it comes to young children," she said.

"Had I known, I would have stopped."

Leader of the Opposition, the SDLP's Matthew O'Toole, asked the first minister about a photograph which showed her in attendance at the same BHF organ donation event at Stormont in 2023.

O'Neill repeated that she did not know McMonagle was at the event, and that she was "solely focused" on the campaign as well as campaigner Dáithí Mac Gabhann.

O'Neill was also asked about committing to a "full independent inquiry to ensure full transparency" by MLA Patsy McGlone.

She said that she was being transparent about the party's own internal processes and was treating the issue with "considerable seriousness".

"Michael McMonagle is a monster," O'Neill told MLAs.

"Michael McMonagle did what he did and he is being dealt with under the full force of the law and rightly so.

"The two former press officers of Sinn Féin should not have done what they have done, they should not have provided references, they wouldn’t have been given permission to give references.

"I do not condone that by anybody particularly in this kind of case, and I will reflect on the issue of references in terms of our own HR guidance and our own policies."

It has also been revealed by the NIA that O'Neill directly employed McMonagle for a three-month period in 2020.

Stormont officials have released fresh details of their records on his employment following questions over how his security pass was not revoked until last week.

In a statement, the assembly said McMonagle “was employed by Michelle O’Neill MLA from 2 March 2020 to 31 May 2020”.

He was then employed by Sinn Féin MLA Jemma Dolan from 1 June 2020 to 8 July 2022 in a full-time position, the assembly said.

It added that in 2014, McMonagle was “employed jointly” by former MLAs Daithí McKay and Mitchel McLaughlin.

Last week, the assembly said Sinn Féin did not hand back McMonagle’s security pass after his employment with the party was terminated in 2022.

When asked who was his pass sponsor, an assembly spokeswoman said its records showed that Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan was the named sponsor for the pass.

Sinn Féin was approached for comment.