First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said there are “no questions” over Mary Lou McDonald’s leadership of Sinn Fein following recent controversies that have engulfed the party.
It comes after another senior party figure, Pearse Doherty, acknowledged that “full information” about former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile’s resignation was not provided by the party, while dismissing accusations that Ms McDonald gave Ó Donnghaile a “glowing reference” when he stood down.
Yesterday it emerged that Ó Donnghaile was the member who resigned over sending allegedly inappropriate messages to a 17-year-old party member.
In the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald, the Sinn Fein president, admitted the party was first informed about the messages in September 2023 and Ó Donnghaile was suspended. Police and social services were informed, but there was no finding of illegality.
The former Belfast Lord Mayor resigned from Sinn Fein and the Seanad on October 5 2023.
However, it was not until four days before Christmas when he announced he was stepping down. At the time, health reasons were cited for the resignation, with Ms McDonald publicly praising Ó Donnghaile for his “diligent” service.
This was despite the party knowing that the messages to the 17-year-old party member were behind Ó Donnghaile’s resignation.
Ms McDonald said she did not tell the Oireachtas the reason for his sudden departure because she was concerned about his mental health.
Speaking today, Ms O’Neill said that there was “complete due diligence” in how the party handled the Ó Donnghaile case.
She said that everything the party knows “is now on the public record”.
“Mary Lou (McDonald) has set out very categorically everything that we knew and when we knew it in the Dail statement yesterday,” she said.
“She set out in terms of the internal party processes that we went through. I’m very confident that we had complete due diligence in terms of how we handled that case.
“She’s also set out in terms of the aftermath of that, the fact that there were no criminal proceedings brought against Niall O Donnghaile himself, and we were very conscious in terms of legal advice that was sought, in terms of naming the individual himself. I think that we can confidently stand over the approach that we took to that.
“As I said, from day one, we’ve set out to try to be as transparent as we can in terms of setting out all of the facts. I’ve done that in the Assembly chamber last week, Mary Lou did it again yesterday in the Dail, and that remains our approach. We’ve always wanted to be as frank as we possibly can with everybody and answer all the questions that people have put to us.”
Ms O’Neill said that she would be “transparent and open” in answering questions about the controversies that have come to light in recent weeks.
“No, there are no questions over Mary Lou McDonald’s leadership,” she told reporters.
“I think the Dail was the right opportunity yesterday, and Niall (Ó Donnghaile) himself, he made a public statement in advance of Mary Lou going into the Dail chamber for a fuller statement.”
She indicated that there were “no other” cases of party members under investigation or suspended.
Asked about whether she would give statements in the Assembly on child protection issues, she said: “I’ve stood in front of the Assembly chamber last week. I think I took in excess of, or perhaps potentially up to, 20 questions. I’m trying to be as transparent and open and frank as I possibly can.
“I was before the Assembly committee also, so I’ll continue in that vein.”
The Ó Donnghaile case is the latest controversy to rock Sinn Fein, following the resignation of two party press officers for giving job references to self-confessed child sex offender Michael McMonagle, as well as the resignation of TD Brian Stanley over an unrelated matter.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said that information has been “trickling out” from Sinn Fein when there is a need for honesty.
“I think there are very serious questions for Sinn Fein to answer. I think the whole thing’s been very grubby,” she said.
“I think people are fed up and sick of half truths or not truths or issues trickling out.
“If there’s one thing that we have learned right across Northern Ireland, and indeed right across Ireland, is this idea of cover ups or not being truthful, the lack of transparency when it comes to the safeguarding of children is deeply unacceptable.”
Ms Little-Pengelly said that while “the grubbiness” of the controversies need to be addressed, she indicated the institutions were not at risk.
She said that Ms O’Neill and Sinn Fein “need to step up and be absolutely transparent and honest”.
“Ultimately, this isn’t a crisis of the institutions. It’s a crisis within Sinn Fein,” she said.
“Sinn Fein need to get their house in order. No organisation should be operating with a cloak of secrecy.
“We are not and nor should there be criminal organisations which have some sort of a code of silence. We need to step up and show that transparency, the grubbiness of this needs to be addressed, the serious questions need to be answered.”
Earlier, speaking to RTE, Mr Doherty, Sinn Fein’s finance spokesperson, said that, given there was no finding of illegality over the messages, it was decided that it would not be in the interests of Ó Donnghaile’s mental health to name him at the time.
“Mr Ó Donnghaile faced the full rigours of the party and the matter was referred to the PSNI as soon as it was established that the complainant was under the age of 18,” he added.
“He would have been suspended immediately from the party.”
Mr Doherty said that “people now know why that full information was not provided”. He also said it was a “stretch” to say that Ms McDonald gave Ó Donnghaile a “glowing reference” when he resigned from the party.
When Ó Donnghaile announced he was stepping down in December, Ms McDonald said: “I want to wish Niall Ó Donnghaile the very best for the future as he announces his resignation from the Seanad.
“Niall has served in the Seanad for almost eight years giving voice to northern nationalists in the Oireachtas.
“Niall served diligently during that period, and indeed prior during his time as a member of Belfast City Council and as Ardmhéara Beál Feirste.
“In particular, Niall made a valuable contribution to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
“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.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged Ó Donnghaile continued to be paid by the Houses of the Oireachtas up until January 22. After this he also received a termination lump sum and six monthly termination payments.
In a statement to the Irish News on Tuesday afternoon, Ó Donnghaile said that, in consultation with Sinn Féin, he accepted that his behaviour necessitated stepping down from his Seanad role and as a party member.
“This would also give me the space to focus on improving my health and wellbeing, issues that I have been dealing with my doctor on since mid-2021,” he said.
The former senator said he deeply regrets any upset caused to the recipient of the messages and offered an apology.
“I also accept that I have caused great embarrassment to myself, my family, friends and former colleagues – this was never my intention,” he added.
Meanwhile, there have been calls for Michelle O’Neill to appear before the Assembly to answer questions as to what she knew about the matter.