Sinn Fein answers over McMonagle controversy not satisfactory – Robinson
DUP leader Gavin Robinson accused the republican party of trying to ‘shut down’ questions over the issue.
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Your support makes all the difference.Sinn Fein has not given satisfactory answers as to why it did not alert a charity that a former party employee was under investigation for sex offences, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.
Mr Robinson accused the republican party of trying to “shut down” questions over the controversy surrounding former press officer Michael McMonagle.
Sinn Fein has faced a number of questions this week over the fact that it did not inform the British Heart Foundation that McMonagle was under investigation when he applied for a job with the charity.
Last month, McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
McMonagle was first arrested in August 2021. Sinn Fein has said it suspended him as soon as it became aware of the police investigation.
However, he took up a position with the British Heart Foundation in September 2022. The charity has said it was not made aware that he was facing investigation.
Two Sinn Fein press officers resigned last Saturday after it emerged they had given references for McMonagle for the charity job. Sinn Fein has said the references were provided without clearance from the party and described the press officers’ actions as “unacceptable and wrong”.
However, party vice president Michelle O’Neill and Conor Murphy this week both insisted it was not the responsibility of the party to inform the British Heart Foundation that McMonagle had been facing allegations, stating that to do so could have prejudiced the police investigation.
But Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told the Policing Board on Thursday that he could not see how passing on information would have harmed the investigation.
I think over the last number of days you can see that there are new questions emerging and answers that really aren't satisfying people
DUP leader Mr Robinson told the PA news agency that the public were not satisfied with the answers provided so far by Sinn Fein on the issue.
He said: “I think it is clear to see that from the outset they tried to shut the story down.
“I think over the last number of days you can see that there are new questions emerging and answers that really aren’t satisfying people.
“When you consider safeguarding and the safety of children particularly, it is crucially important.
“So, where there still are questions to be answered, they should be answered fully and satisfactory.”
Mr Robinson said Sinn Fein’s position that it could not alert the charity to the McMonagle allegations had been contradicted.
He said: “One, they have a responsibility where they have an employee who is under investigation and being charged for such offences, they have a responsibility to make that information known, particularly to the disbarring service.
“Secondly and separately, I think there was a suggestion that to do anything would compromise the investigation and the chief constable has very clearly and very quickly shut that down.
“Just as there are questions to be answered, they need to provide those answers to the satisfaction of the wider general public.”
Earlier this week, Ms O’Neill said she was “aghast and horrified” that two Sinn Fein press officers provided a reference for McMonagle.
Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley resigned as press officers on Saturday.
It also emerged that while McMonagle was working for the British Heart Foundation, he attended an event at Stormont in February 2023 which was also attended Ms O’Neill.
The Sinn Fein vice president has said she was not aware that McMonagle was present at the event.
McMonagle pleaded guilty at Londonderry Crown Court last month to 14 offences of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
The offences dated between May 2020 and August 2021.
He is due to be sentenced in November.