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 somone 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.”
Junior Government ministers Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Anne Rabbitte have written to the Ceann Comhairle seeking Dáil time for a debate on the matter.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said Sinn Fein has “real issues” in managing such controversies.
Mr Martin said he is “surprised” that Sinn Fein has taken so long to respond to the controversy.
Speaking on Tuesday 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.”
