McDonald defends handling of ex-senator inappropriate texts

Sinn Féin's decision not to reveal that a senator had been suspended for sending inappropriate texts to a teenage boy when he stepped down last year has been defended by the party's president.

Niall Ó Donnghaile, who was also a former Belfast lord mayor, confirmed police were notified but no formal complaint was received.

Mary Lou McDonald said, following a referral by Sinn Féin, there were no findings of illegality and no criminal charges were pursued.

She has come under pressure over the party's handling of recent child safeguarding issues.

Mr Ó Donnghaile confirmed in a statement to the Irish News, external on Tuesday that he sent an inappropriate text to a youth member of the party, a 17-year-old boy in Northern Ireland.

The message is believed to have been personal in nature but not sexually explicit.

The party said when it got the complaint in September 2023, it followed its child protection policy, suspended Mr Ó Donnghaile, and referred them to police and the social services.

The same month, Sinn Féin said the PSNI told them it was not carrying out an investigation.

Mr Ó Donnghaile later resigned from the party.

On Tuesday, McDonald said a second person, an adult, had also received inappropriate texts from Mr Ó Donnghaile and was advised of their right to make a complaint but they did not.

In his statement to the Irish News, Mr Ó Donnghaile said he accepted his behaviour warranted stepping down from his role in the Seanad and as a party member.

He said it would give him "the space to focus on improving" his health and well-being, issues he added he had been dealing with since 2021.

BBC News NI has contacted him for comment.

In a statement at the time, Mr Ó Donnghaile said he had been unable to attend the Seanad since the summer recess "on the advice of my doctor".

At the time, McDonald issued a statement thanking him for his service to the party.

During a debate on Tuesday, she repeated that he had previously been on leave due to "serious mental health issues".

"We were advised at the time he stepped down he was suffering from a mental health crisis after the complaint and was deemed medically unfit for work," McDonald said.

"We were worried publicly naming him would be dangerous to his health and we had very serious concerns for his health and safety - I still hold some to this day."

In a social media post reacting to the news on Tuesday, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said when Mr Ó Donnghaile stepped down his party "enabled a graceful departure" but "they knew the real reason".

"The contempt and apparent cover up continues," he added.

The DUP and Ulster Unionist Party have called for First Minister Michelle O'Neill to give a statement to the assembly on the issue.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy PM) and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the latest revelations about Mr Ó Donnghaile "raise serious and fundamental questions about the party and its governance".

He claimed the Oireachtas was "misled on the full reasons" for his resignation.

"It is apparent when it comes to Sinn Féin, the party always comes first," he said.

Analysis from BBC News NI political reporter Brendan Hughes:

These controversies may have different complexities and timelines, but they all raise questions of accountability and transparency.

Sinn Féin’s political rivals will be lining up to ask who knew what and when.

And in particular, the focus will be on how Sinn Féin dealt with those issues which related to child safeguarding.

Sinn Féin will hope McDonald setting out in full the party’s actions will help take the heat out of recent weeks.

But on both sides of the border, their political opponents will argue that many questions remain unanswered.

Read more from Brendan here.

The Dáil debate on Tuesday offered parties an opportunity to debate another issue relating to Sinn Féin's handling of a separate case involving former press officer Michael McMonagle, who admitted child sex offences.

The party faced criticism after it emerged that two Sinn Féin press officers gave references for their former colleague for a job with a charity.

In September, McMonagle admitted to a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He is due to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Both press officers, Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley, have since resigned.

On this, McDonald said she has instigated an overhaul of procedures in the party.

Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, McDonald also reiterated that the move by two former press officers to provide Michael McMonagle with job references when he was under investigation for child sex offences was "reprehensible and unforgivable".

She said Mag Uidhir and McGinley "knew their actions were sackable offences so they jumped before they were pushed".

The Sinn Féin leader also apologised directly to the British Heart Foundation for "being dragged into this controversy".