Sinn Féin has said it has only become aware of what it terms a “cross-over period” that saw self-confessed sex offender Michael McMonagle seemingly work for an MP and MLA at the same time.
The one-time Sinn Féin press officer was listed in a Westminster register as working for West Tyrone MP Órfhlaith Begley in November 2020.
However, as the Assembly Commission revealed earlier this week, McMonagle was also employed by Fermanagh-South Tyrone MLA Jemma Dolan as a constituency worker after being employed by Michelle O’Neill for three months up to the end of May 2020. McMonagle’s double-jobbing was first reported by The News Letter.
The 42-year-old from Limewood Street in Derry, who last month admitted a series of sexual offences, was part of Sinn Féin’s Stormont press office team for at least some of the period when he was registered as working for Ms Begley and Ms Dolan.
The rules state that MPs and MLAs are supposed to use public funds provided for constituency purposes only.
The Westminster register reveals McMonagle also failed to state that he was employed by Ms Dolan when asked to declare “other relevant gainful occupation, employment, gift or benefit”.
Sinn Féin confirmed that McMonagle worked for both Ms Begley and Ms O’Neill for three months.
“We have just become aware of this cross-over period which took place in the early stages of the pandemic,” a party spokesperson said.
“During these three months he was also employed part time by Sinn Féin.”
The party said it was McMonagle’s “personal responsibility to make all declarations in relation to his employment”.
“We are aware that Michael McMonagle paid back money to Westminster because of overpayments in this period from 1st June to October 2020. He was then employed by Jemma Dolan from 1st June 2020 to June 2022,” the party said.
