Mary Lou McDonald has corrected the Dáil record after making an inaccurate remark about the Niall Ó Donnaghaile controversy.
Last week, the Sinn Féin President told TDs that the teenager who had received inappropriate messages from the former Senator had been 17 at the time - in fact, he was 16.
At Leaders’ Questions, she told the Dáil that, “It was then my understanding that the young person was 17-years of age because of the information provided on his application form when he applied to join Ógra Shinn Féin.
“That information was wrong.
“The young person themselves have made clear that he was in fact 16 at the time, so I want to correct the Dáil record to reflect that he was in fact 16-years of age when these texts were sent.”
“I have now written to the young person and his mother offering a full, unequivocal and sincere apology”
Mary Lou McDonald apologises in the Dáil to the teenager who received inappropriate messages from ex-Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile and corrected her previous statement… pic.twitter.com/5eqIiNJIVb
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 22, 2024
Deputy McDonald added she had also written to the young person and his mother to personally apologise for what happened to him.
“What happened to this young person was wrong,” she said.
“Niall Ó Donnghaile’s behaviour was unacceptable, utterly inappropriate, and no young person should have experienced that.”
Stormont Assembly
Earlier today, Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill also corrected the record of the Northern Ireland Assembly after making the same factual inaccuracy.
The First Minister said she "fully accepted" the young person was 16-years-old at the time and that what had happened to him was “wrong”.
“Niall Ó Donnghaile's behaviour was unacceptable and entirely inappropriate and no young person should have experienced that," she said.
"As I said yesterday, I am absolutely so sorry for the hurt caused by the statement issued following his resignation."
Ms O’Neill also told the Assembly that a Sinn Féin staffer had resigned from the party and their job after a portrait of a former Lord Mayor of Belfast was damaged.
Main image: Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Picture by: Oireachtas screenshot.
