Leader pledges ‘complete overhaul’ of Sinn Fein governance after McMonagle case

Mary Lou McDonald has announced a “complete overhaul” of Sinn Fein’s governance procedures arsenic she apologised for the party’s handling of a enactment transgression probe into 1 of its erstwhile property officers.

The Sinn Fein president addressed the contention astir Michael McMonagle aft days of intensifying calls from governmental rivals successful the Dail, including Taoiseach Simon Harris, for her to respond to the substance publicly.

Her connection was issued soon aft Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill told the Stormont Assembly she was “deeply sorry” for harm caused to the estimation of a foundation which employed McMonagle aft helium near the enactment party.

Earlier, DUP lawman First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly distanced herself from Sinn Fein’s “attempts to blasted different organisations” successful the fallout from the row.

Her remarks came aft the caput of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) successful Northern Ireland said the foundation had been dismayed erstwhile their owed diligence implicit the assignment of McMonagle appeared to person been questioned past week by elder Sinn Fein figures, including Ms O’Neill.

In different improvement connected Monday, the Assembly confirmed that McMonagle was employed straight by Ms O’Neill and 3 different Sinn Fein MLAs crossed 2 periods, erstwhile his wage was paid for by Assembly allowances provided from the nationalist purse.

Last month, McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, admitted a bid of offences, including attempting to incite a kid to prosecute successful intersexual activity. He volition beryllium sentenced successful November.

He was archetypal arrested successful August 2021 and Sinn Fein has said it suspended him arsenic soon arsenic it became alert of the constabulary investigation.

His word of employment with Sinn Fein astatine the Assembly formally ended successful July 2022.

We volition bash everything indispensable to guarantee that an incidental similar this ne'er arises again

Mary Lou McDonald

McMonagle past went connected to get a occupation with the British Heart Foundation, which did not cognize helium was nether probe for kid enactment offences.

Sinn Fein has been nether mounting unit aft it emerged that 2 erstwhile enactment property officers provided references for McMonagle successful 2022 for the BHF job.

The property officers discontinue much than a week agone aft Sinn Fein began disciplinary proceedings against them.

Ms McDonald insisted she had taken “decisive action” erstwhile she became alert that the 2 references had been given.

She said the actions of the 2 property officers who provided the references – Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley- were “unforgivable and perfectly unacceptable to me”.

Neither property serviceman has commented publically connected the references they gave since they discontinue the party.

I profoundly regret that the British Heart Foundation has been caught up successful an issue, not of their making. They bash incredibly important enactment and I look guardant to continuing our enactment with them present and successful the future

Mary Lou McDonald

“I person asked the incoming wide caput (Sam Baker) to instantly initiate a implicit overhaul of governance procedures wrong the party,” said Ms McDonald.

“We volition bash everything indispensable to guarantee that an incidental similar this ne'er arises again. The wide caput volition instrumentality outer nonrecreational proposal successful this work.

“I volition guarantee that determination are wide processes truthful that determination are nary grey areas whatsoever wherever an idiosyncratic has been suspended oregon ends their employment with Sinn Fein, to guarantee that determination are nary aboriginal issues successful narration to handing backmost enactment passes (Sinn Fein failed to instrumentality McMonagle’s walk to the Assembly authorities) and to marque perfectly wide that references cannot beryllium provided by idiosyncratic members of staff.

“There indispensable ever beryllium accountability for wrongdoing. That is wherefore erstwhile I was made alert of this contented connected Wednesday September 25 2024 decisive enactment was taken.

“Those who gave references successful this lawsuit were blameworthy of gross misconduct, they nary longer enactment for the enactment and are nary longer members of the party.

“I profoundly regret that the British Heart Foundation has been caught up successful an issue, not of their making. They bash incredibly important enactment and I look guardant to continuing our enactment with them present and successful the future.

“I apologise for the distress that has been caused by these events. I americium committed to ensuring that an incidental similar this is ne'er repeated again.”

Following days of headlines, connected Monday Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots selected an urgent question from DUP MLA Diane Dodds which asked if the furore had diminished assurance successful the First Minister’s office.

Responding successful the Assembly, Ms O’Neill, who described McMonagle arsenic a “monster”, said: “As a parent and arsenic a grandmother, I asseverate my implicit determination, some governmental and personal, to protecting each children and to protecting each different susceptible people.”

She past acceptable retired the series of events which led to the resignation of the 2 property officers arsenic she said “legitimate concerns” had been raised.

Ms O’Neill told the Assembly: “In August 2021, erstwhile Michael McMonagle informed Sinn Fein of his apprehension and questioning concerning superior transgression offences, the enactment took decisive action.

“In enactment with our kid extortion argumentation and quality resources handbook, helium was instantly suspended from enactment rank and his presumption arsenic a property serviceman with his employment terminated successful June 2022 erstwhile his declaration ended.

“I was made alert of his suspension and I had nary further interaction with him.”

Ms O’Neill repeated her insistence that she did not cognize McMonagle had attended a Donate for Daithi lawsuit astatine which she was contiguous successful February 2023 hosted by the British Heart Foundation. Daithi Mac Gabhann is simply a young Belfast lad successful request of a bosom transplant.

She said: “My sole absorption was connected Daithi and supporting the household done the works of the campaign, and I was not alert that Michael McMonagle was astatine this event, and I had nary cognition either that helium had gained employment with the British Heart Foundation.”

Ms O’Neill past told MLAs she had since established that the foundation had contacted her party’s then-HR manager past year, aft McMonagle was charged.

She said: “This interaction from the British Heart Foundation was not brought to my attraction oregon the Sinn Fein enactment astatine that time, and that was a superior omission.

“Members volition cognize that I spoke with Fearghal McKinney, the caput of the British Heart Foundation, to sermon this situation.

“This is an organisation that does sterling enactment providing support, probe and obviously, services, and I americium profoundly atrocious for the reputational harm caused to the British Heart Foundation, and I regret that this has happened, and I apologise for this.”

She added: “I privation to beryllium very, precise wide that the contented of kid safeguarding is of paramount value to maine and I volition bash everything that I tin to guarantee that a concern similar this ne'er arises again.”

Earlier, Ms Little-Pengelly urged Sinn Fein to beryllium unfastened and transparent successful effect to questions astir McMonagle.

She told MLAs: “There are superior questions astir the existent concern that person to beryllium answered and arsenic leaders we person to beryllium honorable and we person to beryllium credible, and I deliberation precise galore radical retired determination volition consciousness it has simply not been credible frankincense far.

“Therefore, I impulse the radical progressive to beryllium unfastened and honorable and credible connected this matter.”

Meanwhile, the Assembly has confirmed that McMonagle was paid retired of Ms O’Neill’s staffing allowance betwixt March and May 2020, astatine a clip erstwhile she was Stormont lawman archetypal minister.

Parties tin prosecute unit from Assembly funds provided to them centrally, oregon idiosyncratic MLAs tin prosecute from their ain staffing allowances.

An Assembly spokesperson said: “Michael McMonagle was employed jointly by erstwhile MLAs Daithi McKay and Mitchel McLaughlin successful a full-time presumption from May 6 2014 to October 31 2014.”

The spokesperson added: “Michael McMonagle was employed by Michelle O’Neill MLA from March 2 2020 to May 31 2020 and past by Jemma Dolan MLA from June 1 2020 to July 8 2022 successful a full-time position.”

When this happened and determination was harm caused, arsenic we saw it, to our reputation, added harm we thought astir the nationalist comments that were made, we had to bash thing to marque definite that the grounds was enactment straight

Fearghal McKinney, British Heart Foundation

Mr McKinney, caput of the BHF successful Northern Ireland, said the foundation had suffered reputational harm implicit the matter.

He said the foundation was dismayed erstwhile their owed diligence appeared to person been questioned past week by elder Sinn Fein figures, including Ms O’Neill.

“This caused tremendous distress and anxiousness among our unit and unwavering supporters,” helium told the BBC.

“It was rather wide that whenever comments were made astir owed diligence that determination was lone 1 different organisation that employed him since helium was employed by Sinn Fein, truthful intelligibly determination was a reflection connected us.”

He said immoderate harm to the foundation could undermine their bully work.

“When this happened and determination was harm caused, arsenic we saw it, to our reputation, added harm we thought astir the nationalist comments that were made, we had to bash thing to marque definite that the grounds was enactment straight,” helium said.

“We’re contented that we person done everything successful our powerfulness successful bid of keeping each our supporters, each our unit and the wider nationalist that’s connected with america safe, and they cognize that that’s the modular that the British Heart Foundation applies.”