Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, has apologised to the British Heart Foundation over reputational damage caused by job references given to the charity about a former Sinn Féin press officer, who recently admitted a series of child sex offences.

Michael McMonagle, aged 42 and from Londonderry, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a series of child sex offences, relating to a series of dates between May 2020 and August 2021.

McMonagle previously worked as a Sinn Féin press officer in north-west Northern Ireland but was immediately suspended from his job and from party membership after his arrest in August 2021, O’Neill told the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday (7 October). She added that McMonagle’s employment was terminated in June 2022 when his contract ended.

McMonagle was employed by the British Heart Foundation in September 2022, after the charity was provided with employment references from two of his former colleagues from the Sinn Féin press office. 

Third Sector understands that the references did not mention the ongoing police investigation or McMonagle’s suspension from Sinn Féin and were accepted by the BHF.

But the references were given “without the knowledge or authorisation” of Sinn Féin, O’Neill told the Northern Ireland Assembly, saying that the party only learned of these references on 25 September this year. 

The two press officers who provided the references have since resigned, according to reports from the BBC.

The charity learned of the arrest and subsequent criminal charges against McMonagle after being approached by the media in July last year and suspended him almost immediately, Third Sector understands.

An internal investigation was carried out and McMonagle was dismissed from the BHF on 17 August last year. The charity said there had been no incidents during his employment where he was alone with children without their parents being present.

O’Neill has apologised to the charity both privately and publicly for the oversights relating to the references and for comments she and party colleagues made that questioned the charity’s own due diligence process. 

Responding to a question in the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday, O’Neill said she was “absolutely appalled and horrified” that the references had been provided, saying: “Under no circumstances would the party have provided a reference, for work or otherwise, for McMonagle.”

O’Neill said she had recently established that in August 2023, the BHF contacted Sinn Féin’s former HR manager to verify the email address and identity of the senior press officer who provided the reference, which was not brought to her or the party leadership’s attention at the time.

She said this was a “serious omission”, adding: “I am deeply sorry for the reputational damage that has been caused to the British Heart Foundation. I regret that this has happened, and I apologise for it.”

Fearghal McKinney, head of the BHF Northern Ireland, said he had a phone conversation with O’Neill on 5 October, saying: “In this telephone call I outlined to Michelle O’Neill the processes the British Heart Foundation undertook in hiring this individual, determining his suitability for employment including full reference checks and the robust internal investigation we undertook after learning of the serious charges against him.”

He said O’Neill “agreed recent comments by her and party colleagues questioning the BHF’s due diligence process were unhelpful, and she expressed regret for the damage and upset this has caused to our dedicated staff and supporters”.

McKinney said: “I wish to reiterate that the BHF is confident we undertook all necessary statutory and moral duties required throughout this entire process. Our staff and volunteers in Northern Ireland have been devastated by this issue and our focus now must be on supporting them and focusing on what we are here to do – funding lifesaving research to find the cures and treatments for heart and circulatory disease.

“Our thoughts are with the children and their families who are the ultimate victims of these terrible crimes.”

Sinn Féin has been contacted for comment.