SINN Féin still has questions to answer over references for an ex-press officer convicted of sex offences, the SDLP has said.
Matthew O’Toole, the SDLP leader of Stormont’s opposition, said he would be seeking clarity about what senior party members knew and when.
The British Heart Foundation last night said it was kept in the dark about the police investigation McMonagle was facing
Over the weekend, Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley resigned as Sinn Fein press officers after it emerged they had given references to Michael McMonagle to work at the health charity.
Earlier this month, McMonagle (42), from Limewood Street in Derry, admitted to a series of offences, including trying to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
He had first been arrested in August 2021, with Sinn Féin stating that they suspended him from his press officer job at Stormont as soon as they became aware.
The offences were dated between May 2020 and August 2021.
By September 2022, McMonagle received the references from Mr Mag Uidhir and Mr McGinley for a job with the British Heart Foundation.
Sinn Féin say this happened three months after he was fired from the party while still under police investigation, and they had only been made aware of the references last week.
They added that they were provided without clearance and were “unacceptable and wrong.”
Neither Mr Mag Uidhir nor Mr McGinley have made any comment.
Mr McMonagle is now due to be sentenced in November.
In a statement, Mr O’Toole questioned if the party had acted quickly enough to raise concerns about McMonagle.
“This is a serious situation given that an individual has now pleaded guilty to the offences,” he said.
“There are questions for Sinn Fein’s leadership, particularly in the north, about what they knew, when they knew it and what action they took in line with the safeguarding obligations on organisations to protect vulnerable people.”
The British Heart Foundation told the Irish News they “categorically” did not know McMonagle was under police investigation when he was hired in September, 2022.
“The individual took up his position in September 2022 following the provision of two professional references – neither of which raised a concern about his suitability for employment or referenced an ongoing police investigation or suspension from his previous employment,” a spokesperson said.
The charity also confirmed they would not have employed him and followed “strict recruitment and safeguarding practices.”
Asked if Sinn Féin should have made them aware of McMonagle’s arrest, they said: “Referees have a duty to provide a fair and accurate reference, and in this instance the BHF considers that duty was not met.”
