O Donnghaile picture removed from wall inside Belfast City Hall

A representation of erstwhile Sinn Fein Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile has been removed from City Hall amid a contention astir substance messages helium sent to a teenager.

Group leaders connected the assembly agreed to the determination connected Thursday pursuing Mr O Donnghaile’s admittance helium discontinue Sinn Fein past twelvemonth aft the enactment received complaints implicit him sending allegedly inappropriate texts to a teenage enactment member.

Sinn Fein referred the substance to the PSNI and societal services past September, but nary transgression probe was undertaken.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill said the removal of the representation was “appropriate” fixed what she described arsenic Mr O’Donnghaile’s “completely inappropriate” behaviour.

Mr O Donnghaile became the youngest Lord Mayor of Belfast successful 2011 and, similar each who clasp that office, had an authoritative representation painted and displayed to people his twelvemonth successful the role.

He went connected to service arsenic an Irish legislator earlier his resignation past December.

Sinn Fein is facing questions implicit its handling of the case, which emerged aft the abstracted lawsuit of the erstwhile enactment property officer, Michael McMonagle, who admitted kid enactment offences earlier this year.

McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, past period admitted to a bid of offences, including attempting to incite a kid to prosecute successful intersexual activity.

Sinn Fein backed the telephone to region Mr O Donnghaile’s representation from City Hall.

Asked astir the projected removal erstwhile speaking to reporters successful Belfast connected Thursday morning, First Minister Ms O’Neill said: “I deliberation it is appropriate. His behaviour was wholly inappropriate so, therefore, I deliberation that we had nary contented whatsoever successful backing the removal of the portrait.”

Asked whether she had immoderate regrets implicit her enactment person Mary Lou McDonald issuing a connection paying tribute to Mr O Donnghaile’s publication erstwhile helium near successful December, Ms O’Neill said: “I deliberation Mary-Lou McDonald tried to acceptable that grounds consecutive successful presumption of the considerations that she had to instrumentality connected board, peculiarly successful narration to his terrible intelligence health, and that was the lone information that we had whenever helium stepped back.

“It’s due that helium stepped backmost but I’m precise assured successful presumption of however we conducted ourselves, however we referred him to the PSNI and to societal services, that that was close and proper.

“I deliberation that was due but we were acrophobic astir his intelligence wellness and we besides had the contented of legally being capable to sanction him.”

In a statement, Belfast City Council said: “After statement astatine a gathering of the Party Group leaders contiguous (Thursday 17 October), the representation of erstwhile Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile has been removed from show astatine City Hall.”