First Minister: child who received inappropriate texts from ex-SF senator was 'in fact 17'

Michelle O’Neill's statement contradicts the child’s own testimony in the Sunday Independent newspaper at the weekend – where he said he was 16 at the time – and came just hours after her party leader Mary Lou McDonald said the record would be corrected in the Dail.

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley highlighted calls for the Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald to “correct the record” in the Irish parliament, after she claimed the teenager was 17 when the messages were sent by Niall O Donnghaile.

The inappropriate message has been described as personal in nature but not sexually explicit.

The Upper Bann MLA asked the First Minister to tell the Assembly “what age was the schoolboy involved?”

Ms O’Neill said: “Can I just repeat again that all child protection protocols were followed, with an immediate referral to the PSNI and also to social services. The protection of the young person was absolutely our primary concern. Niall O Donnghaile was held accountable and faced serious consequences for his totally unacceptable and totally inappropriate behaviour.

“And I’m deeply sorry and angry that this young person has had to endure any of this inappropriateness or this unacceptable behaviour.

“Also, I can confirm that according to our records the young person was, in fact, 17. That’s the records which we have in our files in terms of membership”.

Ms O’Neill was asked when she was made aware of the reason for Mr O Donnghaile’s suspension from Sinn Fein.

She responded: “On the 13th September, in line with our child protection guidelines, and given that the complainant was under the age of 18, Niall O Donnghaile was suspended from the party and the issue was referred to the PSNI and the social services in the north to investigate. At this point, I was made aware.”

Former Irish senator Niall O Donnghaile, also a former lord mayor of Belfast, quit the Seanad (upper house of the Irish parliament) last year.