A former Sinn Féin press officer who was later convicted of child sex offences had been employed by a Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA at the time of his arrest.

In September, Michael McMonagle (42) of Limewood Street, Londonderry, admitted to child sex offences including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was first arrested in August 2021 when he was employed by Sinn Féin MLA, Jemma Dolan.

The party said they had suspended McMonagle as soon as they became aware of the police investigation with his employment with the party at the Assembly ending in July 2022.

A Sinn Féin spokesman confirmed that McMonagle was employed by Miss Dolan from June 1, 2020, to July 8, 2022.

They also confirmed that when Miss Dolan immediately suspended McMonagle from his employment after he informed the party of his arrest.

He was also previously employed by First Minister Michelle O’Neill before moving into Miss Dolan’s employ.

He then went on to work for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) who did not know he was under investigation for child sex offences and had received two references from Sinn Féin press officers for McMonagle.

The two press officers have since left their roles with the party.

It also emerged that the BHF contacted Sinn Féin in August of last year in relation to the references after media coverage of McMonagle’s arrest.

At Stormont on Monday, First Minister O’Neill said she was “deeply sorry” for damage to the BHF’s reputation adding: “I regret that this has happened, and I apologise for this.”

This came after Stormont Speaker, Edwin Poots, selected an urgent question from DUP MLA Diane Dodds which asked if the incident had diminished confidence in the First Minister’s office.

Ms. O’Neill also reiterated that she did not know McMonagle had attended a ‘Donate for Daithi’ event she attended in February 2023 hosted by the BHF.

Sinn Féin President, Mary Lou McDonald, has called for a “complete overhaul” of governance procedures within the party.

Meanwhile, the Fermanagh man leading the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland (BHF NI) has said the organisation carried out all the necessary checks before it employed the former Sinn Féin press officer.

Two former Sinn Féin press officers provided the BHF with references for McMonagle in 2022 despite him being suspended from his job and the party in 2021 following his arrest.

Ferghal McKinney, head of BHF NI, 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. Lastly, our thoughts are with the children and their families who are the ultimate victims of these terrible crimes.”

Mr. McKinney, a former journalist with The Impartial Reporter, spoke to First Minister and Sinn Féin’s Deputy Leader, Michelle O’Neill on Saturday about the situation and outlined “the processes the British Heart Foundation (BHF) 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 the charity had suffered reputational damage over the matter and the charity was dismayed when their due diligence appeared to have been questioned last week by senior Sinn Féin figures, including Ms. O’Neill.