Sinn Féin is currently facing increasing demand to explain when its top leadership found out that party officials had given references for an ex-staff member, who was then being investigated by police and was subsequently found guilty of child sexual abuse crimes.
The fact that a couple of Sinn Féin’s past press officers gave references to Michael McMonagle, aged 42, from Limewood Street, Derry, an ex-colleague, who was last month found guilty of various sexual offences, including enticing a child into sexual engagement, was spoken of as “highly concerning” by Taoiseach Simon Harris on Sunday.
Mr. McMonagle was looking for a job with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), a fact unknown to Sinn Féin, during the period of his charges. Sinn Féin’s Northern leader, Michelle O’Neill, has stated that she came to know about the provided references only during the time of conviction.
However, more information surfaced on Saturday, showing that the BHF reached out to Sinn Féin in August 2023 as they were revising their hiring processes, after learning about the charges against Mr. McMonagle.
Ms. O’Neill stated that it was only last Thursday that she discovered that Sinn Féin’s “ex-HR manager” had been contacted about the references by the BHF in August 2023 during the media coverage of Mr. McMonagle’s charges.
“A character who committed a sexual offence against a minor was relocated from a political party to a charity, with the move being enabled by the employer references given by the party,” commented Mr. Harris on Sunday.
He further indicated that there appears to be a commitment to silence in having a proper discussion regarding the matter.
When approached on Sunday for comments, a spokesman for Sinn Féin stated that they currently had no comments.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin also conveyed over the weekend that the Sinn Féin leadership needed to answer questions about its practices regarding this issue.
Mr. Martin, during an address at the Cairde Fáil dinner in Dublin, expressed his belief that Sinn Féin’s leadership ought to elucidate regarding who was involved in what, when, and the specifics. Presently, he expressed frustration over the continuous stream of revelations about the matter.
In his address, he condemned Sinn Féin for evading the press whenever posed tough questions. Further, he stated his disbelief that any other Irish political party would act as Sinn Féin has, especially when faced with grave queries relating to previous staff accused of heinous crimes.
There are expectations that Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin, will be questioned about the party’s method of handling the matter. Additionally, she would need to shed light on the extent of knowledge of the party’s higher-ranked members.
Regina Doherty, a Fine Gael MEP from Dublin, stated on Sunday that it’s unbelievable that three senior party staff had no conversations regarding their interactions with the BHF concerning McMonagle.
On Saturday, Ms O’Neill, who is not only a member of Sinn Féin but also the First Minister of the North, issued an apology on the party’s behalf for any grief or discomfort caused. She also announced that Sinn Féin will be issuing guidelines to all staff and managers about future character references. As a political leader and a mother, she emphasised the importance of child protection to her and vowed that no similar situation would occur again.
Following a Saturday phone call with Fearghal McKinney, the head of BHF in Northern Ireland, Ms O’Neill made these statements. Mr McKinney shared that he described to Ms O’Neill the rigorous internal investigation they conducted after learning about the severe accusations against him, in addition to the steps they took during his recruitment, inclusive of thorough reference checks. Ms O’Neill admitted that her recent comments and those from party peers questioning the BHF’s thoroughness in their process were detrimental. Mr McKinney reported that she showed remorse for the harm and distress caused to the BHF’s dedicated employees and supporters.