Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald will deliver a “full” apology to the 16-year-old boy who was subject to inappropriate social media messages from former senator Niall Ó Donghaile.
Ms McDonald said on Monday she would make a “full unequivocal apology”.
She said “he is a young person who deserved to be fully comfortable within Sinn Féin. What happened to to him was wrong. Niall Ó Donnghaile’s behaviour was unacceptable and utterly inappropriate. No young person should have experienced that.”
In making her comments, Ms McDonald also confirmed she will correct the Dáil record as to the teenager’s age.
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Over the course of the weekend, the former Sinn Féin member confirmed to the media he was 16, and not 17, when Mr Ó Donghaile sent the texts to him.
“It is very important that the record of the Dáil is accurate, so of course it will be corrected,” she said.
She said if there is any additional information that needed to be corrected, that would be done.
The teenager also strongly criticised the manner in which Sinn Féin handled the resignation of its Seanad leader, and its absence of any mention of the real reasons for his stepping down. He also asked Ms McDonald to apologise directly to him.
In a further controversy to hit Sinn Féin, the party confirmed that one of its employees had resigned following their involvement in an incident that led to a DUP portrait being damaged in Belfast City Hall.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, the party said it had notified the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) about the incident, which took place on Saturday.
It is understood a framed portrait of former DUP Lord Mayor, Wallace Brown, was damaged after it was taken off the wall at City Hall and had its glass smashed.
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the employee, who worked in the Assembly, was “immediately suspended” after informing the party chief whip about the matter.
“We have notified the PSNI today. The employee has now resigned from their employment and their party membership,” the spokesperson added.
Belfast City Council said it was assessing the extent of the damage and “looking into the circumstances”.
“No further action has been taken at this time,” it said.
The damage happened following an event at City Hall on Saturday evening to celebrate an Irish language group’s 20th anniversary.
The suspension of the Sinn Féin staff member comes just days after a portrait of Ó Donnghaile was removed from City Hall.
Sinn Féin vice president and Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the removal of the former Belfast lord mayor’s portrait was “appropriate” given what she described as Mr Ó Donnghaile’s “completely inappropriate” behaviour.
On Monday, all three leaders of the Coalition parties criticised Ms McDonald and called on her to correct the Dáil record in relation to the victim’s age, and also to make a full apology to him.
Speaking a the launch of the Dublin City Taskforce Report on Monday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that the victim had set out in the media over the course of the week how had had been affected by the situation.
“The victim has called for (Ms McDonald) to directly and sincerely apologise. I would have thought that’s the most pressing issue for the Sinn Féin party to address today,” he said.
Green Party leader, Roderic O’Gorman said Ms McDonald’s judgment was “flawed” when agreeing to such a statement at the time of Mr Ó Donghaile’s departure.
“The level of praise she heaped upon him (was flawed) in light of the reason he was leaving Sinn Féin. In relation to the age of the victim when these texts were sent, I think there is an opportunity for deputy McDonald to clarify the record of the House,” he said.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, speaking in Cork, also called for more clarity.
“More clarification is needed in respect of that entire saga, not just in terms of the Brian Stanley affair but also in terms of Niall Ó Donnghaile and to what degree was the Oireachtas blindsided and to what degree was there a cover up in preventing the Oireachtas from knowing fully as to the reasons as to why he resigned,” he said.
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