Sinn Féin knew of McMonagle references last year, says charity
· BBC NewsJake Wood
BBC News NI
A senior Sinn Féin official knew last year that two of the party's press officers provided references for a former colleague who was being investigated for child sex offences, a charity has said.
Michael McMonagle was employed by the British Heart Foundation in September 2022 after neither reference raised concerns about his suitability for employment.
He later admitted the offences.
Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Féin's vice-president and Northern Ireland's first minister, confirmed an HR manager had been contacted by the charity in August 2023, but added the party's leadership had not been made aware of this.
In a statement on Saturday, she described this as "a serious omission".
Previously, Sinn Féin minister Conor Murphy told BBC News NI the party had only been aware of the references since 25 September 2024.
Last month, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted a series of child sex offences.
O'Neill said she apologised for the hurt and distress caused by the press officers who provided the references.
'Appalled and horrified'
She also reiterated Murphy's claim that the party leadership was unaware of the references until recently.
“On Wednesday 25 September 2024, Sinn Féin and I were informed that two press officers, who were former colleagues of Michael McMonagle, had provided employment references for him," O'Neill said in a statement.
"I am absolutely appalled and horrified that this occurred," she continued.
"These references were given without the knowledge or authorisation of the party.
"Under no circumstances would the party provide a reference, for work or otherwise, for Michael McMonagle."
O'Neill also said she apologised "for the hurt and distress caused by their actions".
On Saturday afternoon, Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said it was time for "full transparency", and called for the first minister to make a statement in the Assembly and take questions.
"Is the truth being hid or is there a total lack of competence," he questioned. "It's time for honesty.
"With every new revelation undermining a previous Sinn Féin position, this issue requires deeper scrutiny."
He also said the issue should be examined by the Assembly's executive office committee.
The work references were provided three months after McMonagle was dismissed from the party while under police investigation.
Sinn Féin said this happened without clearance from the party and described the press officers' actions as wrong and unacceptable.
O’Neill said "decisive action" was taken to ensure that both individuals "were held accountable for their unacceptable actions".
In a statement, the head of the British Heart Foundation, Fearghal McKinney, said O'Neill had "expressed regret" about questioning the charity's due diligence.
Earlier this week, O'Neill said there were lessons for a lot of people in terms of "due diligence for an employer when they take on an employee”.
She has previously denied knowing that McMonagle had taken up a new job with the charity, despite the pair attending the same event to support organ donation at Stormont in 2023.
The pair spoke by phone on Saturday.
“Michelle O’Neill agreed recent comments by her and party colleagues questioning the BHF’s due diligence process were unhelpful, and she expressed regret for the damage and upset this has caused to our dedicated staff and supporters," he said.
A spokesperson from the British Heart Foundation added it has "robust recruitment and safeguarding processes".
Who is Michael McMonagle ?
McMonagle had worked for Sinn Féin for about seven years, first as a policy advisor at Stormont and later as a press officer in the north west until his arrest in 2021, after which his employment with the party ended.
He was then employed by the British Heart Foundation charity a year later, having received references from two other former Sinn Féin press officers.
The references, provided by Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley, raised no "concern about his suitability for employment or referenced an ongoing police investigation or suspension from his previous employment", according to the charity.
Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley later resigned after it emerged that they had provided the references without clearance from the party, who condemned their actions.
In September, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted a series of child sex offences.
The offences relate to various dates between May 2020 and August 2021, and include charges of attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.
In a statement released on Saturday, the charity said it was “made aware of the arrest of and subsequent criminal charges against the individual by a media query on Saturday 29th July 2023 and we suspended him as soon as possible on Monday 31st July 2023”.
It added that it "reviewed the recruitment process for the individual".
As part of that review, it continued, "on 3 August 2023 we had email dialogue with a senior Sinn Féin HR official where we shared that we had two references from Sinn Féin".
It stated that it is therefore "confident that it fully complied with its policy in relation to obtaining reference checks".
'Shut down the story'
Speaking to BBC News NI earlier this week, Sinn Féin Minister Conor Murphy said the party did not warn the British Heart Foundation as it could “potentially be prejudicial” to the police investigation.
A few days later, PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher contradicted Murphy’s claims and said that he did not see how it would have prejudiced the case.
He added that he did not want the PSNI to get involved in a political “tit-for-tat”.
On Friday, Alliance leader Naomi Long said that Sinn Féin should consider whether it’s actions were “appropriate”.
In her statement on Saturday, Michelle O'Neill added "for the purpose of completeness", that she had also been made aware by staff of an "unrelated issue with an adult female colleague of Michael McMonagle at a non-work related social gathering a number of years ago".
"This was in no way related to any child protection issue and related to him making the female colleague feel uncomfortable," she continued.
"This was resolved by mutual agreement between them at the time.”