Sinn Fein silent on key questions about sex offender's Stormont pass - as mystery surrounds who was responsible

The NI Assembly says Sinn Fein did not inform it 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, the News Letter can reveal.

The Assembly has said that Michael McMonagle was employed by a number of Sinn Fein MLAs between May – October 2014 and again between March 2020 - July 2022.

The News Letter asked Sinn Fein which – if any – MLA employed Michael McMonagle on the date he was suspended by them – and which individual MLA failed to notify the Assembly. At the time of going to print, the party had not responded. Neither had the NI Assembly when asked who was responsible for Mr McMonagle’s employment at the time of his suspension.

Seemingly contradictory statements were issued by Assembly officials yesterday about who is responsible for employees, with one stating that the passes can be sponsored by the party or an MLA – and another saying that staff are employed directly by MLAs.

Who employed McMonagle and who was his ‘sponsor’ are now key questions in the growing safeguarding scandal. The revelations raise new questions for the party 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 in recent days – 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 retained his card.

The former Sinn Fein press officer was suspended by the party after it became aware he was under police investigation for child sex offences. He was later convicted of 14 offences including two charges of attempting to entice two children to engage in sexual activity and 12 charges of attempting to communicate with children for the purposes of sexual gratification.

Assembly officials eventually cancelled his access pass for Parliament Buildings on 1st October 2024.

McMonagle accessed the Great Hall at Stormont in February 2023 as part of a British Heart Foundation delegation – at which he stood yards from Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill and other prominent Sinn Fein officials and elected representatives. The First Minister says she did not see him, and interjected on behalf of Aisling Reilly when TUV MLA Timothy Gaston attempted to question the junior minister on the issue during a Stormont committee earlier this week.

An Assembly spokesperson told the News Letter: “Assembly passes are allocated to political parties using the d’Hondt method based on party strength. In addition, each MLA is allocated three passes for distribution to their staff. Passes are issued as either MLA staff or party staff passes.

“The pass sponsor (the party or MLA employer) should return the pass once the pass-holder leaves their employment. This did not occur in this case. The Assembly Commission was not informed of the allegations against Michael McMonagle, or his suspension, or at any time asked to suspend or cancel Mr McMonagle’s pass.

When Mr McMonagle attended the Great Hall on 14 February 2023, he used a visitor pass. These passes are valid for one day and are issued to any visitor to Parliament Buildings.

“In the circumstances, the Assembly Commission cancelled Mr McMonagle’s pass on 1 October 2024. To prevent such a situation arising again, the Assembly Commission has reviewed the actions routinely taken to ensure that passes are returned upon the termination of employment of MLA staff or party staff.”

Sinn Fein did not respond when asked for comment.

Meanwhile, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said Sinn Fein has not given satisfactory answers as to why it did not alert the British Heart Foundation charity that the former party employee was under investigation for sex offences.

He accused the party of party of trying to “shut down” questions over the controversy surrounding Michael McMonagle.

Gavin 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.”

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”.