The Sinn Féin leader has suggested that very senior members of Government parties have written character references for convicted rapists and child abusers.
Mary Lou McDonald made the claim during heated exchanges in the Dáil over the ongoing Michael McMonagle controversy.
It emerged in recent weeks that two Sinn Féin staffers gave Mr McMonagle work references after he had informed the party that he was under investigation for child sex offences.
Deputy McDonald yesterday told The Pat Kenny Show that she was ‘furious’ at what happened but admitted that Sinn Féin had ‘dropped the ball’ in terms of its governance procedures.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton called for a special sitting to discuss child protection in the wake of the scandal, accusing the Sinn Féin leadership team of having “continued involvement with this person” after news of the investigation broke.
Dáil statements
Speaking under parliamentary privilege, Deputy McDonald said that if the Government wanted to schedule statements on child protection and safeguarding, that was “in their gift”.
She warned, however, that “the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste the parties of Government will also have to make clear what sanctions they have adopted in cases where very senior members of your parties have written character references for convicted rapists and child abusers”.
“I will be interested to hear what action you took,” she said.
Deputy McDonald again took the opportunity to note that her party has taken the scandal “very, very seriously indeed,” adding that she has “taken swift action” in response.
“I want to be clear that, for our part, these unauthorised references you have referred to were unacceptable [and] they were reprehensible,” she said.
“The two individuals involved have lost their jobs; they are now no longer members of Sinn Féin and that is as it should be.”
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Mr McMonagle used the Sinn Féin work references to secure a position as Communications Manager for the British Heart Foundation.
He has since pleaded guilty to 14 charges, including attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Sinn Féin has said it became aware of the work references two days after his guilty plea, with the two men who gave them resigning with immediate effect.
In the weeks since, however, considerable questions have been raised regarding the party leadership's handling of the affair – and why Deputy Leader Michelle O’Neill did not raise concerns about Mr McMonagle’s attendance at a British Heart Foundation event at Stormont long after he had been suspended by Sinn Féin.
Ms O’Neill has said she was not aware he was in attendance; however, images of her standing just metres away from him at the event have emerged in recent days.
Deputy McDonald yesterday said Ms O’Neill had addressed questions on the issue at Stormont, adding that she accepts her explanation that she did not see him at the event.
