The Sinn Féin leader said she wants to know what sanctions Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have adopted “in cases where very senior members of your parties have written character references for convicted rapists and child abusers”.
Addressing the controversy surrounding Sinn Féin press officers writing work references for convicted child abuser Michael McMonagle, Ms McDonald told the Dail she expects government parties to also detail how they handled child abuse issues.
Sinn Féin also issued a statement this evening reinforcing this message. “The Taoiseach and Tánaiste will need to set out what sanctions they applied when senior members of their parties wrote references for child abusers and sex offenders,” the party said.
McMonagle was arrested in August 2021 following an investigation into child sex offences.
Last month, he admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and will be sentenced in November.
Ms McDonald’s challenge came after Government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton proposed the business committee convene to organise statements to be made in the Dáil on the matter.
In response, Deputy McDonald said it was in the Government’s gift to schedule time in the Dail for statements on child protection.
“I want to be clear that, for our part, these unauthorised references that you have referred to were unacceptable. They were reprehensible. Action has been taken,” she told the Dáil.
“The two individuals concerned have lost their jobs. They are now no longer members of Sinn Féin, and that’s as it should be. We take these matters very, very seriously indeed, and I have taken swift action by way of response.”
Before moving on to speak about the unfolding situation in Lebanon and the continued bombardment of Gaza, Ms McDonald said that when statements on child protection are given in the Dáil, government parties must also do so.
“On the course of our statements the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the parties of government will have to also make clear what sanctions they have adopted in cases where very senior members of your parties have written character references for convicted rapists and child abusers,” Ms McDonald said.
“I will be interested to hear what action you took, and I’m sure that you will avail of that opportunity,” she added.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik also said in the Dáil that time should be made for parties to provide statements on child protection.
“There are child victims here when we discuss child protection issues and serious matters that have arisen in respect of Sinn Féin’s handling of offenses of child of child sex abuse of an employee.”
“And I want to can call a proposed to the house that we make time available this week for statements on child protection issues that we simply vote or agree indeed by consensus, to make that time available this week to hear statements on child protection and the procedures within political parties for managing child protection issues,” Deputy Bacik said.
On Monday, Ministers of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Anne Rabbitte wrote to the Ceann Comhairle to ask for time to be given on statements on child protection so that Ms McDonald could update the Dáil on the matter.
Speaking to the media outside Leinster House before the Dáil convened today, Minister MacNeill said Ms McDonald giving a statement was part of “normal political party accountability”.
She added that the party should be audited in order to ensure the party has the correct child protection procedures.
Earlier, Ms McDonald said she is “furious” over revelations that two former party press officers provided work references for Michael McMonagle, adding that an “overhaul” of party procedures will take place in response.
Mr McMonagle, a former party employee who is awaiting sentence next month for child abuse offences, was provided with references by two Sinn Féin senior press officers to take up a job with the British Heart Foundation following his suspension from the party while he was under investigation by the PSNI.
Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley quit their jobs in the party last month when it emerged they had provided professional references for Mr McMonagle for a communications job at the charity.
In a statement about the “complete overhaul of governance procedures within the party” which will now take place in the aftermath of the scandal, Ms McDonald yesterday apologised for any distress caused by the incident and said she is “committed to ensuring that an incident like this is never repeated again”.
Speaking to the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Ms McDonald said the former press officers who provided the references for Mr McMonagle “jumped before they were pushed” and quit both their employment and membership of the party when internal procedures began.
Michelle O’Neill ‘deeply sorry’ for damage to charity as she faces MLAs on McMonagle row
“I have to be honest with you, for the life of me, I cannot explain to you or account to you how anybody – any rational, sane, decent person, could have considered giving him any form of reference for anything,” Ms McDonald said.
Ms McDonald said no explanation was given to the party by either former employee, adding that they acted “unilaterally, irresponsibly, despicably” and did not seek to inform the party of their actions as the police investigation into Mr McMonagle progressed.
When it came to her attention that references had been provided on the night of Wednesday September 25, she said internal procedures were immediately initiated.
“The most severe sanction for gross misconduct is summary dismissal and removal from the party,” she said, adding that “the two individuals jumped before they were pushed,” she said.
She said the party was unaware that a member of the HR staff had confirmed the email address and identity of one of the reference providers to the British Heart Foundation when contacted.
“We dropped the ball. Sinn Féin dropped the ball on this. The fact that communication had happened was not communicated up the chain, that was an omission and an error,” she said.
Ms McDonald said she is “so angry” with the two press officers that “understanding their rationale is frankly the least of my concerns”.
She said a “full overhaul” of party governance has begun, to further clarify “for the avoidance of any doubt” in relation to the correct procedures for staff and party members.
“We have strong child protection guidelines, we have strong HR processes. Unfortunately, we had two errors. Number one, people acting outside their authority and they have faced the stiffest sanction, the most extreme sanction that we could visit on them, they’ve lost their jobs, they are not in the party,” she said.
“In the second instance, we had a communications drop and that can’t happen again, I’ve been very clear on that.”
Ms McDonald said it is “inconceivable” how anyone could consider providing references to someone in such a context, adding: “I don’t think there is a defence or a reasonable rationale for that at all.”
Ms McDonald said there were personnel changes and “churn” within the HR function at that time, but added that even when this occurs “a ball as significant as that should not be dropped and a communication of that size”.
She said: “I am furious about it. Michelle O’Neill is more furious about it. We are disgusted and we are determined that any grey areas or any doubts or lack of clarity that exists in any part of the management of our organisation will be fully, fully clarified and fully audited and overhauled now.”
Addressing a photo which shows Ms O’Neill attending a British Heart Foundation event and standing some feet away from Mr McMonagle, Ms McDonald said the First Minister “didn’t see him”.
“She acknowledged that that photograph from that angle, people looking at it could say, ‘how in the name of god could you not have seen him?’ She didn’t see him,” she said.
“I am assuming here that he was not going out of his way to go and speak with her in the circumstances, her focus was an Dáithí (MacGabann), who is a young child who needs a heart transplant. He has run an incredible campaign.
“One of the most awful things in all of this, is that he and his family have been caught up in the commentary around it.”
On whether party devices were analysed as part of the investigation, Ms McDonald said “anything” that Mr McMonagle had access to would have been included.
She said she was “blindsided” by the incident and first learned of the issue of the references when the party received a media inquiry by a Sunday newspaper.
She denied that there was culture within the party that would seek to cover up any such incidents, adding that such an assertion would be “very unfair to people in the party” whose members and staff are “incredulous” and “furious” by the events.
“I’m accountable for Sinn Féin and I can assure you that there is absolutely no appetite for anything other than rigorous standards, complete transparency and sanctions where people failed those standards and you saw that play out in this case.”
Micheál Martin
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said Sinn Féin has “real issues” in managing such controversies.
Mr Martin said he is “surprised” that the party had taken so long to respond to the controversy.
Speaking this morning, Mr Martin said: “I think it is surprising that they would require that governance overhaul on a matter that has been of ongoing concern within society for quite a long time.
“Sinn Féin would have had real issues in the past in terms of managing matters of this kind.
“One only has to refer back to how Mairia Cahill was treated by Mary Lou McDonald and by Sinn Féin at the time. It was shocking, as I recall it.
“I was attacked myself by Pearse Doherty and Mary Lou for raising the Mairia Cahill case and they said some very uncharitable things about me.”
Ms Cahill, who has alleged she was sexually abused by an IRA man at the age of 16, received an apology from Sinn Fein after Ms McDonald expressed regret for how it handled her allegation of rape.
Ms Cahill previously alleged that Sinn Féin and the IRA tried to cover up the offence.
Mr Martin added: “One would have thought that from then onwards that their systems would have been overhauled and also in terms of other cases where people were abused by Provisional IRA members, and these came to light.
“There’s real history here and these were well thrashed out in the Dáil in the past and it is surprising it has taken so long to overhaul those governance arrangements.”
Asked if the Sinn Féin leader should make a statement to the Dáil, Mr Martin said: “There are facilities in the Dáil where members can make statements and clarify situations to the Dáil and I think Sinn Féin should avail of that opportunity.”
