On 20th August 2021, Michael McMonagle informed Sinn Féin of his arrest the day prior, disclosing that he was under questioning for grave child protection-related criminal charges. Subsequently, he got suspended from his position as a press officer. When his contract with Sinn Féin concluded in June 2022, McMonagle ceased to be a part of the organisation.
McMonagle was appointed as the communication manager for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) charity in September 2022. This appointment was made post the receipt of two professional references from his former colleagues at Sinn Féin, Séan Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley. In their references, neither colleague raised any critical point about his appropriateness for employment, nor did they mention either his suspension or the ongoing police investigation.
In February 2023, McMonagle attended a BHF event at Stormont, with the family of Dáithí Mac Gabhann, a seven-year-old child awaiting a heart transplant and was the focus of an organ donation campaign. Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister, was also in attendance but was supposedly oblivious to McMonagle’s presence, as their photograph appeared in the Great Hall of Stormont, with them standing a few feet apart.
Fast forward to July 2023, McMonagle, originally from Limewood Street, Derry, was taken to court on charges of child sex offences. On July 31st, 2023, following a media inquiry alerting them of his arrest and criminal charges, BHF proceeded to suspend McMonagel. Moreover, they informed the Police Service of Northern Ireland and offered his work laptop and mobile phone to aid the investigation.
On August 3rd, 2023, an “email dialogue” emerged between BHF and a senior official, now retired, from Sinn Féin HR. This discourse was part of an in-depth review of McMonagle’s recruitment process. According to the emails, BHF had received two references from Sinn Féin almost a year back. Michelle O’Neill expressed ignorance about this information and pointed it as a “serious omission” on the part of party leaders.
On 23rd September 2024, the court clerk recorded a guilty plea from McMonagle for a total of 14 offences, including a pair of counts involving attempts to induce a child into a sexual encounter.
Two days later, Sinn Féin reported their discovery of references supplied for McMonagle in response to a media query. The political organisation promptly mandated an internal disciplinary review. As the process was ongoing, immediate resignations were tendered by Mag Uidhir and McGinley – both their roles in the party and their party memberships were relinquished.
On 2nd October, Michelle O’Neill communicated her shock and horror to the press after learning details about the references. She left no doubt that following McMonagle’s suspension, he was not on her list of concerns.
By the next day, police chief Jon Boutcher had publicly opposed statements issued by Sinn Féin’s minister for the economy, Conor Murphy. Murphy had previously defended the party’s choice not to inform the BHF of McMonagle’s arrest and suspension to ensure that the police investigation was not compromised. Boutcher expressed his view that such information would not have interfered with the investigation.
On 4th October, it was revealed that Sinn Féin neglected to hand back McMonagle’s security pass to the Stormont Parliament Buildings or to tell the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission about his arrest or the ongoing police investigation. Consequently, his Assembly pass was revoked by the commission on the 1st of October due to recent events.
Also on the 4th, Naomi Long, Stormont’s justice minister, disapproved of Sinn Féin not warning the BHF about McMonagle’s arrest and immediate suspension. She advised them to consider whether their decision was fitting or not.
On the 6th, Fearghal McKinney, the Northern Ireland BHF chief, spoke to Michelle O’Neill who apologised for her remarks from the previous week regarding the responsibilities and due diligence of employers during the hiring process.
The same day, O’Neill reiterated her apology for the upset and harm caused by the actions of Mag Uidhir and McGinley on behalf of the party. She stressed that child protection is of utmost priority and vowed for prevention against such a situation arising in the future.
On 7th October, 2024, Diane Dodds, a DUP MLA, submitted a pressing inquiry, calling for Michelle O’Neill to appear in front of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The question raised concern regarding whether her role as the First Minister still holds credibility within her realm of influence.
The same day, comments from Fearghal McKinney suggested that the British Heart Foundation (BHF) had faced considerable embarrassment due to the situation. The discomfort stems specifically from questions about the organisation’s caution when recruiting McMonagle, which has apparently led to considerable upset and worry among their employees.