Sinn Féin is refusing to say if it informed the GAA that it suspended its former member after receiving a complaint about the text messages.
The party confirmed the individual resigned from the party subsequent to an internal investigation. It also alerted police and social services in the North, but the PSNI did not investigate, as the young person did not want to make a formal complaint.
The text messages are believed to have been personal and physical in nature, but not sexually explicit.
Since leaving Sinn Féin, the individual has remained involved in the GAA, as a senior member of a club with underage teams.
The party’s press office would not respond to questions seeking to establish what, if any, action the party took after the former member left and continued to work with the GAA.
The revelations come as Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald faces into Dáil statements on how she handled the fallout from the conviction of her former press officer Michael McMonagle.
Last week, Ms McDonald was forced to apologise after it emerged two other press officers wrote references for McMonagle so he could get a communications job with the British Heart Foundation.
The [accused] individual subsequently resigned from the party
Yesterday, the Irish Independent revealed a Sinn Féin member resigned from the party for sending inappropriate messages to a teenager.
The individual was a long-serving party member and comes from a well-known republican family. The member has worked on both sides of the Border for Sinn Féin.
McDonald was aware the member was suspended in September last year. However, she has interacted with the former member as recently as this summer.
Former Sinn Féin press officer Michael McMonagle
Yesterday, Sinn Féin refused to answer any questions about the member or Ms McDonald’s actions since becoming aware of his suspension.
The Sinn Féin press office would only give the same statement as it had the previous day when pressed for details on how it handled the situation.
“Sinn Féin received a complaint on 11th September 2023 regarding messages sent by a party member to a 17-year-old member of the party. In line with the party’s child protection guidelines, the person concerned was suspended,” it said.
“The matter was immediately referred to the PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] and social services.
“On 27th September, the PSNI informed the party they were not carrying out a formal investigation into the matter and indicated support for the actions the party had taken both from their perspective and that of the young person’s family. The [accused] individual subsequently resigned from the party.”
The PSNI said it did not investigate because the teenager did not make a formal complaint about the messages.
“In September 2023, a referral was made to Police Service of Northern Ireland by a political party.
“Safeguarding assessments and engagement with other statutory bodies were conducted at that time. No formal complaint from any person was received,” the PSNI said.
On Tuesday, the Dáil will hear statements on child protection after Fine Gael sought to capitalise on Sinn Féin’s handling of the McMonagle child abuse conviction by seeking time to address the issue.
Sinn Féin press officers Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley resigned from the party after it emerged they wrote refences for McMonagle after he was charged with child abuse offences.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill was forced to address the Northern Ireland Assembly over her handling of the affair.
