Long says questions remain over McMonagle references

Naomi Long says Sinn Féin need to "self reflect" after references were given to a former press officer

There are still questions for Sinn Féin to answer over its handling of controversial job references which were provided for former press officer Michael McMonagle, Alliance leader Naomi Long has said.

In September, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted to a series of child sex offences.

He worked for Sinn Féin until his arrest in 2021 when he was suspended, and his contract of employment later ended.

McMonagle then took up a position with the British Heart Foundation charity a year later, having received references from two other former Sinn Féin press officers.

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

On Friday, Long said parties, like Sinn Féin, need to be capable of "self reflection" to look at what can be done better and what lessons can be learned during difficult situations.

"I do think that there are questions that Sinn Féin should be asking themselves and questions that they have to answer," the justice minister said.

"For example, why they didn’t report to a new employer that the individual in question was under investigation?

"I think that’s a significant question that they need to reflect on whether that was appropriate or not."

Meanwhile it has emerged that a Stormont security pass held by McMonagle was only cancelled this week.

The assembly body which controls the passes revealed that Sinn Féin failed to hand back the pass after McMonagle’s employment with the party was terminated in 2022.

As a result it has now reviewed how passes are controlled.

Michael McMonagle is due to be sentenced in November

In response to a BBC News NI query, the assembly, which issues security passes, said it was not informed of the allegations against McMonagle or his suspension “or at any time asked to suspend or cancel” his pass.

It added the pass sponsor (the party or assembly member) should return the pass once a pass-holder left their employment, but “that did not occur in this case”.

The assembly also confirmed McMonagle did not use his Stormont pass when he attended an event in the building while working for the British Heart Foundation, which Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill was also present at.

The assembly said he used a visitor pass, which was valid for one day.

“To prevent such a situation arising again, the Assembly Commission has reviewed the actions routinely taken to ensure passes are returned on termination of employment of [the] MLA or party staff,” a spokesperson said.

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: "When Micheal McMonagle’s employment was suspended his pass should have been revoked."

Michael McMonagle (highlighted far left) attended the same event as Michelle O'Neill (in pink jacket with her back to the camera)

O'Neill previously denied knowing McMonagle had taken up a new job at the British Heart Foundation, despite the pair attending the same event in 2023.

“I was not aware that Michael McMonagle was at that event," the first minister said.

“We go into the hall with a number of people, he was not on my radar at all from we took disciplinary action.

“I am confident to say that I did not know anything about Michael McMonagle’s whereabouts – I was there to support the campaign and the legislation."

When asked if O'Neill had questions to answer about what she knew about McMonagle, Long said they were questions for the first minister to answer.

"It is not for me to judge what Michelle knew or didn’t know," she said.

"What I would say organisationally, and I think in light of what has happened, all organisations ought to be reflecting on how they would handle a similar situation and what they can learn from this current debacle."

Calls for 'more transparency'

On Friday, Democratic Unionist Party Education Minister Paul Givan said Sinn Féin needed to be "more transparent" about the issue.

Earlier this week, Sinn Féin Minister Conor Murphy defended the party's handling of the case.

He said the party did not warn the British Heart Foundation about McMonagle as it could not do anything which could "potentially be prejudicial" to the police investigation.

However at a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher contradicted this claim and said he did not want to get involved in a political "tit-for-tat".

Givan said Murphy should "step forward and apologise" for the claim.

"I think there is a clear need when it comes to the safeguarding issue and the protection, particularly of children, that there is no confusion as to what the public should do in these situations and how political parties should respond," he added.