O’Neill ‘did not see ex-press officer McMonagle at Stormont event’

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill did not see a former Sinn Fein press officer who was facing sex charges when they both appeared at an event in Stormont in 2023, a report has found.

The independent Assembly Commissioner for Standards, Dr Melissa McCullough, has found that Ms O’Neill did not breach the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges has published the commissioner’s report into two complaints made against Ms O’Neill last year.

Former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle was suspended by the party after he was arrested in 2021. He went on to work for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in 2022.

McMonagle, from Limewood Street in Londonderry, was jailed last year after being found guilty of a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Two other Sinn Fein press officers, Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley, resigned from the party after it began disciplinary proceedings against them after providing references for McMonagle.

One complaint against Ms O’Neill came from TUV MLA Timothy Gaston who said she had breached the ministerial code by telling the Executive Office committee she had not known about the whereabouts of McMonagle after his suspension from Sinn Fein in 2021, but she was pictured standing yards from him at a Stormont event in February 2023.

A separate complaint from Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie claimed she had breached the code by stating that her account that she only became aware of references provided by Mag Uidhir and McGinley for McMonagle the day before the story broke in the media was “not credible”.

While the photograph may lead some to believe that the First Minister must have seen Mr McMonagle due to their proximity, both she and Mr McMonagle have affirmed that there was no interaction between them on 14 February 2023

The First Minister co-operated with the commissioner investigation. She did not take up the opportunity to make a written or oral response to the committee after the report was passed on to it.

The commissioner established Ms O’Neill had had no contact with McMonagle since before his suspension from Sinn Fein in August 2021.

She also said: “First Minister O’Neill did not see Mr McMonagle in Parliament Buildings on February 14 2023 and had no interaction with him on that day.”

She added: “While the photograph may lead some to believe that the First Minister must have seen Mr McMonagle due to their proximity, both she and Mr McMonagle have affirmed that there was no interaction between them.

“What the photograph does not convey is that the Great Hall was quite busy on that day, as the Assembly had been recalled to discuss the organ donation legislation.”

The commissioner also found that Mr McGinley and Mr Mag Uidhir did not notify anyone in Sinn Fein that they had provided references for McMonagle.

She said a former Sinn Fein HR director had engaged in email discussion in August 2023 with the BHF regarding the references provided to them.

His report said: “The Sinn Fein HR director did not notify First Minister O’Neill, or anyone in the party, about the email correspondence from the BHF in relation to its queries about the reference providers.

The committee notes that the commissioner has concluded from the evidence gathered and analysed that the First Minister has not breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct

“First Minister O’Neill became aware of the references provided by Mr McGinley and Mr Mag Uidhir on September 25 2024.”

The chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Cathy Mason, said: “While the current procedures do not provide the committee with an adjudication role in relation to complaints against ministers, by publishing this report, the committee has fulfilled its function in relation to considering and publishing all investigation reports by the Commissioner.

“The committee’s report includes the commissioner’s investigation report, which sets out the factual findings, analysis and reasoning from her investigation of the complaints.

“The committee notes that the commissioner has concluded from the evidence gathered and analysed that the First Minister has not breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.”