Murphy backpedals on comments blaming charity over Sinn Fein paedophile scandal

​Michael McMonagle – later convicted of 14 offences – had joined the charity as a communications officer, after it had received references from two Sinn Fein press officers which didn’t mention that he had been suspended over a police investigation.

Those press officers, Sean Mag Uidhir and Caolan McGinley, resigned and Sinn Fein has been keen to keep the blame focused on their actions.

Last week Mr Murphy suggested telling the charity about the investigation into McMonagle may have potentially prejudiced the police investigation, a claim which chief constable Jon Boutcher later disputed.

Mr Murphy also said the party had only been aware of of references provided by two workers for McMonagle since September 25, 2024.

In response to a question from SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin at the Assembly, Mr Murphy said: “I had said on a number of occasions that we had no information as to Mr McMonagle’s whereabouts beyond the time we suspended him, so I was not, in fact, in a position to advise the British Heart Foundation in relation to his employment, because we were not aware that he worked for them, that our party leadership was not aware that he worked for them at that time.

“I also went on to offer an opinion in relation to, if someone had information, what the process might be and what the jeopardies might be in terms of that.

“I’m very happy to accept the chief constable’s view in relation to that and I absolutely concur in terms of the due diligence issue. I accept absolutely that I had not all of the information and therefore I shouldn’t have commented in relation to that.

“I’m very happy to share in the apology that the First Minister made and that was offered by my party president yesterday.”

Last week, the First Minister said there were lessons for a lot of people in terms of “due diligence for an employer when they take on an employee”.