Mystery surrounds the role of a former Sinn Féin human resource manager who failed to make the party leadership aware of two references for convicted child sex offender Michael McMonagle.
The part played by the former official in the unfolding child sex abuse controversy emerged after Sinn Féin’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill posted a statement on X on Saturday.
The First Minister’s statement is the latest in response to the resignation of two party press officers after it emerged they gave McMonagle references for a new job at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) three months after he was sacked while under police investigation.
Sinn Féin’s failure to warn the BHF that McMonagle was a suspected child sex offender has come under scrutiny in recent days.
McMonagle admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, last month.
Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley were forced to step down after it emerged they backed their former press office colleague for a new communications job at the respected BHF charity.
Last week Stormont minister Conor Murphy said the BHF should have carried out “due diligence” before giving McMonagle a job.
In response the charity’s Belfast head Fearghal McKinney said that McMonagle’s role did not require safeguarding checks.
In her statement on Saturday, Ms O’Neill set out a timeline of events.
While condemning McMonagle’s actions as “utterly reprehensible”, she added that she was “absolutely appalled and horrified” that references were later provided.
She said the references “were given without the knowledge or authorisation of the party” and “under no circumstances” would it have provided one for McMonagle.
Ms O’Neill said the actions of the two press officers “constituted gross misconduct, which would result in their dismissal”.
What senior Sinn Féin officials say they knew or didn’t know about McMonagle, including Ms O’Neill, has also come into sharp focus.
Last week Ms O’Neill said she was unaware of the presence of McMonagle at an event at Stormont in February 2023 in support of Dáithí Mac Gabhann, even though she was pictured standing just feet from her former party colleague.
In her weekend statement she again insisted she “was not aware that Michael McMonagle was at this event” adding that she “had no knowledge that he had gained employment with the British Heart Foundation”.
She also said she became aware last Thursday that in August 2023, following media reports around the charges levelled at McMonagle, that the BHF contacted Sinn Féin’s “former” HR Manager “to verify the email address and identity of the senior press officer who had provided the reference the previous year which the HR manager did”.
The Sinn Féin leader said the contact was not brought to her attention or that of the party’s leadership at the time, describing that as a “serious omission”.
The Irish News posed a series of questions to Sinn Féin about the unidentified former HR official, including whether the “serious omission” was viewed as an act of “gross misconduct”.
The party was also asked if the official faced any action and if they are still employed by Sinn Féin in another role.
There was no response from Sinn Féin on Sunday.
Meanwhile, new SDLP leader Claire Hanna said Sinn Féin has not responded in a “satisfactory way” to the controversy.
“We have not had any clear chronology from Sinn Féin about the things they knew and when they knew them and crucially what they did to safeguard children because we can’t lose sight of what this is about,” she said.
“It’s also important to say a reputable charity was impugned last week.
“I think it’s appropriate that they’ve had the time and the space to set out the steps that they took which to me seem to be absolutely discharging in their responsibility.”
The SDLP leader said that following an executive committee meeting this week she does not believe “full questioning was even facilitated”.
“I don’t think all the questions were addressed and I think the floor of the assembly, more and more, should be where we do business pertaining to parties, so I think that would be appropriate,” she told the BBC.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has also said he does not believe Sinn Féin has provided satisfactory answers over why it did not alert the BHF.
“I think it is clear to see that from the outset they tried to shut the story down,” he said.
“I think over the last number of days you can see that there are new questions emerging and answers that really aren’t satisfying people.
“When you consider safeguarding and the safety of children particularly, it is crucially important.
“So, where there still are questions to be answered, they should be answered fully and satisfactory.”
North Antrim MP, Jim Allister said: “Michelle O’Neill is still taking the public for fools - she expects us to swallow that as NI leader of the most controlling and centralised party there is, she wasn’t told about either the commendations written by her senior staff in support of McMonagle, didn’t know the British Heart Foundation had checked back with SF in August 23, didn’t even see McMonagle standing just feet in front of her and still doesn’t know how any of it happened.”
