Pressure is mounting on Sinn Fein after another photo has emerged of a senior party representative standing in close proximity to Michael McMonagle.
McMonagle (42), of Limewood Street in Londonderry, who previously worked as a Sinn Fein press officer, last month pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
He was first arrested by police in August 2021 and later suspended by Sinn Fein. McMonagle went on to work for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in September 2022 — a job he got with two references from Sinn Fein press officers Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley.
Mr Mag Uidhir and Mr McGinley resigned from their jobs at the weekend when news of their references came to light.
A picture emerged earlier this week of Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill standing feet away from McMonagle at a February 2023 event at Stormont — just hours after she had said she was not aware of his presence in Parliament Buildings.
Now, another image has emerged of Sinn Fein junior minister Aisling Reilly standing close to McMonagle at the same event.
At a Stormont committee earlier this week, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston tried to ask Ms Reilly if she saw McMonagle at the event and if she could “detail what your interaction was with Michael McMonagle on that day”.
Ms O’Neill, however, who was sitting next to her junior minister at the meeting, interjected and the exchange was soon shut down.
Mr Gaston subsequently alleged Ms Reilly had been “shielded” from answering his questions.
The latest photo brings to five the number of Sinn Fein representatives who were in close proximity to McMonagle over the space of little over a week.
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Michelle O’Neill’s adviser John Loughran was pictured standing next to her in Parliament Buildings in the photo featuring McMonagle.
In his job with the BHF, McMonagle was also present at an event in Westminster which was attended by Sinn Fein MPs John Finucane and Paul Maskey, eight days after the Stormont event.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ms O’Neill said she was “aghast and horrified” after learning about the references Mr Mag Uidhir and Mr McGinley provided for McMonagle.
She also told reporters she was not aware McMonagle was at the 2023 Stormont event.
“I was not aware that Michael McMonagle was at that event,” she said.
“We go into the hall with a number of people. He was not on my radar at all from [since] we took disciplinary action.
“I am confident to say that I did not know anything about Michael McMonagle’s whereabouts. I was there to support the campaign and the legislation.”
Sinn Fein has faced questions as to why it did not alert the BHF that McMonagle was under police investigation. Both Michelle O’Neill and her colleague Conor Murphy have said it was not the responsibility of the party to inform the BHF, stating that to do so could have prejudiced the police investigation.
On Thursday, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher disputed this, stating he could not see how passing on such information would have harmed the investigation.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Sinn Fein still has questions to answer regarding the controversy.
“I think it is clear to see that, from the outset, [Sinn Fein] tried to shut the story down,” he said.
“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 added that Sinn Fein’s position about not informing the BHF about McMonagle has been contradicted.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Sinn Fein has been contacted for comment.