A former Sinn Féin press officer who was later convicted of sex offences misrepresented details of his employment which may have resulted in a misuse of public money, a review has found.
Michael McMonagle simultaneously held two full-time jobs working for Sinn Féin politicians while also working as a party press officer for three months in 2020, it found.
Assembly chief executive Lesley Hogg has told MLAs that the issue has been referred to the PSNI.
Ms Hogg commissioned the review of Assembly members’ allowances in October following the controversy around McMonagle, from Limewood Street in Derry. He was jailed last year after being found guilty of a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
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The review found that he had been employed by Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley from January 2019 until May 2020. He began full-time employment with the deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill as a press/research adviser in March 2020 and worked for her until the end of May of that year.
It said at an “unspecified date” in March 2020 he also began employment with Sinn Féin as a press officer on a part-time basis. He began his employment with party MLA Jemma Dolan in June 2020, for whom he worked until July 2022.
In a letter to MLAs, Ms Hogg said: “A key finding of the review is that it is likely that ... Mr Michael McMonagle, misrepresented details of his employments to his employers during a three-month period from March 2020 to May 2020.”
Ms Hogg added she had advised those MLAs who employed McMonagle and also Sinn Féin to “consider any further steps that they should take in their role as employers”.
The review was carried out by Jonathan McMillen, the Assembly’s head of legal services. He concluded that McMonagle is “likely to have been subject to three separate contracts of employment in a three-month period” between March 2nd, 2020 and May 31st, 2020.
[ Michael McMonagle controversy timeline from 2021 arrest to Sinn Féin apologyOpens in new window ]
He said “it was not realistically possible” for McMonagle to have carried out all the work for which he was employed in that period. “This is indicative of misrepresentation by Mr McMonagle to his employers, and but for the particular circumstances set out in this review, would call into question the role of the employer.”
The review said that “Sinn Féin ought to have known” that McMonagle was contracted to work for around 80 hours a week in that time.
However, it said Ms O’Neill, now Northern Ireland’s First Minister, “is unlikely to have been aware of all the employment contracts” to which McMonagle was subject at that time, “and is unlikely have become aware of those contracts during his employment with her”.
The review said the “most serious issue to emerge” was that McMonagle had taken up full-time employment with Ms O’Neill in March 2020 when at the same time he was employed by Ms Begley.
“If Sinn Féin did provide centralised recruitment facilities to members of the party, as seems likely, it is odd that this was not picked until October 2024, particularly when Mr McMonagle was at the same time working part-time for the party.
“The result was that Mr McMonagle was for a three-month period entitled to two full-time salaries from two different sources, both drawing on public funds.”
Sinéad Ennis, Sinn Féin’s chief whip in the Assembly, welcomed the completion of the review which she said “contains some positive recommendations” that could provide greater clarity for members in employing support staff.
“It is essential that the use of public money is fully accountable, properly scrutinised and that processes in relation to the use of public funds are open and transparent.”
The DUP has called for the review to be discussed in the Assembly chamber. – PA