Former senator Niall O Donnghaile has revealed that he is the Sinn Fein member who quit the party after sending allegedly inappropriate text messages to a teenager.
Mr O Donnghaile, who was previously the Lord Mayor of Belfast, resigned from the Seanad in December, citing the advice of a doctor.
In a statement to the Irish News which was published on Tuesday, he said: “I have caused great embarrassment to myself, my family, friends and former colleagues – this was never my intention.”
He added: “Since resigning from political and public life almost a year ago and now as a private citizen, my main focus has been on improving my mental health and also supporting a relative through a challenging period of ill-health – this remains my priority and I ask that I and all those concerned are allowed to move on, with our privacy respected.”
At the time of his resignation, party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “I want to wish Niall O Donnghaile the very best for the future as he announces his resignation from the Seanad.”
She added: “I hope that Niall can overcome the health challenges that he has had to deal with over the past number of months, and I wish him and his family the very best for the future.”
Michael McMonagle (PA)
It comes as the party has been asked to explain its child safety procedures following separate revelations that two former party press officers provided references to a colleague who was under investigation for child sex crimes.
Former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle was suspended after his arrest in 2021. He went on to work for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in 2022.
In September, McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He will be sentenced in November.
Two other press officers, Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley, resigned from the party after Sinn Fein began disciplinary proceedings against them after providing references for McMonagle.
Sinn Fein’s President Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Niall Carson/PA)
Elsewhere, senior members of the Irish Government called on Sinn Fein to clarify questions around a complaint made about TD Brian Stanley.
At the weekend, it emerged that the Laois-Offaly TD who was also chair of the Public Accounts Committee had resigned from the party and would run as an independent in the next general election.
Sinn Fein said a complaint made about Mr Stanley and a “serious” counter-allegation were referred to An Garda Siochana on Sunday.
On Tuesday afternoon, statements were due to be given in the Dail chamber about child protection issues, which government ministers have said provides Sinn Fein with a chance to clarify matters.
Speaking on his way into Cabinet on Tuesday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that “political potshots” should not be taken when the issues at hand were “so serious and so grave”.
“What we shouldn’t see today is whataboutery, we shouldn’t see political theatrics,” he said.
“What we should see today is the leader of Sinn Fein take the opportunity to answer basic questions around the timeline, around process and around extraordinarily serious issues to do with the protection of children. We shouldn’t need to have a drip-feed of information.
“I’ve consistently said I believe the leader of Sinn Fein – my political difference aside – to be a decent person, and today is an opportunity to put all the information out on the table for once and for all.”