LAST UPDATE | 30 Sep

TWO SINN FÉIN press officers have resigned after they gave references for a party colleague who was being investigated for child sex offences.

Michael McMonagle last week pleaded guilty to 14 offences of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The offences occurred between May 2020 and August 2021.

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said that three months after McMonagle had left his job in the party, two former work colleagues were asked for references in relation to his time working with them as a press officer. 

Over the weekend those colleagues, Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley, who are part of Sinn Féin’s press team in Stormont, resigned.

The party’s spokesperson said that the references were provided “without clearance” from Sinn Féin.

“This was unacceptable and wrong,” the spokesperson said.

“The references were not provided by, or on behalf of Sinn Féin. Permission was not sought, nor would it have been given from the party for the provision of these references or their content.

“Sinn Féin became aware on Wednesday 25 September that these references had been provided. In view of the serious nature of this revelation, Sinn Féin undertook an immediate internal process.”

They said both Mag Uidhir and McGinley resigned on Saturday, before the process concluded.

The opposition leader at Stormont, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, has said there are questions for the Sin Féin leadership following the resignations.

O’Toole said it was a “serious situation” and indicated he would be seeking further answers from the republican party.

He said questions remain to be answered about what the leadership knew, “when they knew it and what action they took in line with the safeguarding obligations on organisations to protect vulnerable people”.

Speaking in Stormont earlier this morning, O’Toole said he and others will be seeking that the party answer their questions.

Includes reporting by Press Association.