Lessons around McMonagle employment can be learned by all, says O’Neill

By Rebecca Black, PA

Lessons can be learned by all following a probe into employment arrangements for a now disgraced former Sinn Féin press officer, Michelle O’Neill has said.

A Northern Ireland Assembly report found that Michael McMonagle likely misrepresented details of his employment which may have resulted in a misuse of public money.

McMonagle, from Limewood Street in Derry, was jailed last year after being found guilty of a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The review found that he simultaneously held two full-time jobs working for Sinn Fein politicians while also working as a press officer for three months in 2020, including being employed by then deputy first minister Ms O’Neill.

Assembly chief executive Lesley Hogg told MLAs that the issue has now been referred to the PSNI.

Police confirmed a report has been received and inquiries are ongoing.

Speaking in Belfast on Tuesday, Ms O’Neill, now First Minister at Stormont, welcomed that the report, which she described as comprehensive, is now in the public domain.

The Sinn Féin vice-president said there are “lessons for everybody” around the employment of workers by MLAs.

Ms O’Neill said Sinn Féin “fully worked” with the Assembly Commission in terms of the review.

“It’s a very fulsome review, it’s very comprehensive – over 40 pages long,” she said.

“I don’t really have anything more to add to what I’ve said to the review itself.

“I am very acutely aware of the need to be fully accountable in terms of public money and will always be so, so I welcome the fact that the report is now in the public domain.

“People will make up their own minds. We were at a time of Covid, it was a very short time that he did work for me and there as an overlap, but I do believe there are lessons to be learned.”

She said: “It has been a very useful piece of work.

“I think there are lessons to be learned for everybody in terms of how we employ people and how that is all fully accounted for.”