McMonagle: Sinn Féin knew of references last year, says charity

The British Heart Foundation has said it told a senior Sinn Féin official that two of its press officers had provided references for Michael McMonagle in August 2023.

The charity employed the former Sinn Féin press officer, who was under investigation for child sex offences, in September 2022 after neither reference “raised a concern about his suitability for employment”.

This contradicts what Sinn Féin minister Conor Murphy told BBC News NI, that the first time the party became aware of the references was last Wednesday following a media query.

Questions have been mounting on Sinn Féin this week over their handling of the case.

Last month, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted to a series of child sex offences.

The party has been criticised for not alerting the charity to McMonagle’s police investigation.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill also denied knowing that McMonagle had taken up the new job with the charity, despite the pair attending the same event to support organ donation at Stormont in 2023.

On Tuesday, Stormont’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy said it was “inexplicable” the references were provided and Sinn Féin only became aware of it last Wednesday.

“No one was informed, no permission was sought, no advice was sought in relation to dealing with it,” he told BBC News NI.

On Saturday, First Minister Michelle O’Neill reiterated Murphy’s claim that the party was unaware of the references until last week.

“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. 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.”

The work references were provided three months after McMonagle was dismissed from the party while under police investigation.

Sinn Féin said the references were provided without clearance from the party and described their actions as wrong and unacceptable.

Ms O’Neill has said “decisive action” was taken to ensure that both individuals “were held accountable for their unacceptable actions”.

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”.

The head of the British Heart Foundation, Fearghal McKinney, said O’Neill has since “expressed regret” about questioning the charity’s due diligence.

The First Minister spoke to Mr McKinney in a telephone call 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 said it has “robust recruitment and safeguarding processes”.

Mr McMonagle had worked for Sinn Féin for around 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 to 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, 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 says “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 states that it is therefore “confident that it fully complied with its policy in relation to obtaining reference checks”.

On Friday, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Mr Robinson told the PA news agency that the public were not satisfied with the answers provided so far by Sinn Féin on the issue.

He said: “I think it is clear to see that from the outset they tried to shut the story down.

“You can see that there are new questions emerging and answers that really aren’t satisfying people.”

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”, while the DUP’s Paul Givan has called for “more transparency” from the party.