The Sinn Féin staff members that provided work references for an ex-colleague who was being investigated for child sex offences acted “unilaterally, irresponsibly and despicably”, Mary Lou McDonald has said.
Sinn Féin has promised to overhaul its governance structures after the incident, which Deputy McDonald has today described as ‘unacceptable’.
It emerged in recent weeks that former Sinn Féin press officer Michael McMonagle was given work references by two of his former colleagues after he informed the party that he was under investigation for serious child sex offences.
He then used those 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.
On The Pat Kenny Show, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Mr McMonagle has now pleaded guilty to the “most serious of crimes” and will now face the full rigours of the law.
She said Sinn Féin did “everything by the book” when the investigation first came to light – and insisted her party leadership had no way of knowing that the work references had been handed out.
“I have to be honest with you, for the life of me, I cannot explain to you or account to you how anybody - any rational, sane, decent person - could have considered giving him any form of reference for anything,” she said.
“Not alone did these two individuals act without any authority - they acted unilaterally, irresponsibly and despicably, in my view - but they let that situation sit.
“As the allegations then became charges and as the case deepened - and bear in mind, there was media commentary as to how this was proceeding - at no stage did either individual come forward after the fact to say, ‘Look, hands up, we gave these references we shouldn't have.’”
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It has also emerged that the British Heart Foundation contacted Sinn Féin’s HR department to inform them of the situation at the end of July 2023.
Deputy McDonald said that contact was not passed up the Sinn Féin chain of command – and insisted that the first she heard about the work references was just under two weeks ago.
“We dropped the ball,” said Deputy McDonald. “Sinn Féin dropped the ball on this.
“The fact that that communication had happened was not communicated up the chain and that was an omission and an error.
“But I have to reiterate, in the first instance, the two individuals who wrote these references on their own volition with no authority and no clearance, it was for them at every stage to come forward and make us aware that they had done this.”
Asked why the two Sinn Féin members agreed to give Mr McMonagle a work reference, Deputy McDoanld said: “I'm so angry with them at this stage that understanding their rationale is frankly the least of my concerns.”
Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald with Michelle O'Neill speaking to the media following meeting of Ard Chomhairle at the Communications Workers Union HQ, 575 North Circular Road. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNewsAsked how Michelle O’Neill can claim she didn’t see Mr McMonagle at the Stormont event, even though she had personally employed him for three months in the past, she insisted her Deputy Leader “addressed that issue” under questioning in the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday.
“She acknowledged that that photograph, from that angle, people looking at, would say, how in the name of God could you not have seen him?” she said.
“But she didn't see him.
“And by the way, I’m assuming here that he was not going out of his way to go and speak with her in the circumstances.”
Governance overhaul
She said the party is now carrying out a complete overhaul of its governance structures that will ensure all staff know exactly “what needs to be communicated and flagged and to whom” at all times.
“We actually have strong child protection guidelines, we have strong HR processes but unfortunately, we had two errors,” she said.
“Number one, people acting outside of their authority and they have faced the stiffest sanctions, the most extreme sanction that we could visit on them, they've lost their jobs.
“Then we in the second instance, we had a communications drop and that can't happen again. And I've been very clear on that.”
The Sinn Féin leader said both she and Michelle O’Neill are “furious” about the whole saga and are now determined to carry out a complete overhaul of the party’s governance structures.
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