First Minister still focusing blame on Sinn Fein staff - as role of MLAs in McMonagle's employment and unrevoked Stormont pass is revealed

The revelations for the first time bring Sinn Fein politicians directly into the series of events surrounding McMonagle – with the party until now placing all the blame on the actions of its staff.

However, when answering questions on the matter in the assembly yesterday afternoon, First Minister Michelle O’Neill sought to keep the focus on the actions of two press officers and an unnamed HR official – who remains in the party.

Fermanagh MLA Jemma Dolan employed McMonagle from June 1 2020 to July 8 2022 in a full-time position, according to the NI Assembly. In August 2021 McMonagle had been arrested by police as part of an investigation into child sex offences.

It is unclear whether Ms Dolan was informed by her own party.

In June 2022 – while he was in the employment of Ms Dolan – Sinn Fein suspended McMonagle from his job, and membership of the party. Nobody informed the assembly authorities of the suspension – or indeed sought to revoke his access to Parliament Buildings.

Mr McGuigan was the “named sponsor” of the pass McMonagle used to access Stormont, which was not revoked according to officials.

It can also be revealed that Ms O’Neill employed McMonagle from March 2 2020 to May 31 2020 – before he was arrested by police as part of an investigation into child sex offences.

Sinn Fein have not responded to questions from the News Letter on this matter, first put to the party on Friday – and again on Monday morning. These questions include:

l What precautions did the MLA(s) who employed McMonagle take to safeguard children when they became aware of his suspension over a police child sex abuse investigation?

l Did the MLA(s) take the pass from McMonagle and if so what they do with it?

l Does the MLA (or MLAs) appreciate this was a major failure in safeguarding?

The first minister told the chamber that the pass should have been returned. She also said that “whenever someone is disciplined, that’s not for wider public consumption. That’s an employment issue between an employee and the employer”.

We now know the employer was Sinn Fein MLA Jemma Dolan – who until now had not been mentioned by the party.

Ms O’Neill was responding to a question from the Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson about whether it is credible that – given the circumstances in which he departed Sinn Fein – that nobody in the party’s assembly team was aware of his presence in Stormont in February 2023.

The handling of the McMonagle case was not brought to light until a journalist from the Sunday World began asking the party questions in September – after which two press officers resigned for providing references for McMonagle when he applied for a job in the British Heart Foundation. They did not alert the charity about the police investigation into McMonagle’s (then alleged) child sex offences.

Last week, the News Letter revealed that Sinn Fein did not inform the Northern Ireland Assembly of the allegations against the former press officer, or reveal that he had been suspended – and didn’t at any time ask to suspend or cancel the pass he had to access Stormont.

While the party was under no legal obligation to do so, it raised new questions for Sinn Fein about its attitude to safeguarding, as it may have left a man – then under investigation for child sex offences – with access to Parliament Buildings where schools regularly visit.

McMonagle’s pass was only revoked last Tuesday – after he was convicted of child sex offences.

It is unclear if, or how often, he accessed Stormont after his suspension – or if the party or Sinn Fein MLAs retained his card.

While there has been much discussion about McMonagle working for Sinn Fein, the way the system is structured means he was employed directly by MLAs.

The Assembly Commission provides a payroll service to MLAs through which their staff are paid.