Sinn Féin’s leadership could have been forgiven for hoping this week would provide an opportunity to regain a foothold on the news agenda following last week’s budget. They could scarcely have anticipated that, rather than focusing on the party’s housing or health policies, they would be forced instead into a defensive crouch and a string of apologies, explanations, denials, and recantations.
The controversy over the arrest and subsequent conviction of its former press officer, Michael McMonagle, for child sex offences, and the still unexplained provision of references for him by two party colleagues, have seen a stumbling response from the leadership that has made a bad situation worse. Questions remain to be answered following the subsequent revelation that a former senior Sinn Féin human resources manager had been made aware of the references more than a year ago.
The controversy is particularly damaging because it feeds into a long-standing criticism levelled by many of Sinn Féin’s opponents, that the party still retains some of the trappings of the secretive, subversive organisation it used to be. It also inevitably calls up memories of past scandals over the appalling treatment of accusations of child sexual offences within its ranks. In the well-documented case of Máiría Cahill, who was raped by a senior IRA leader, members of the “republican movement” arrogated to themselves the right to act as judge and jury. In the case of Liam Adams, brother of the then party leader, a known abuser remained at large for years.
There is no suggestion that a similar level of malfeasance has occurred on this occasion. But the sequence of events that have been grudgingly revealed over the past two weeks do not suggest a party with a strong culture of transparency, or one committed to best practice in the protection of children. It also raises questions about the chain of command within Sinn Féin and where responsibility ultimately lies. Party figures have been forced more than once to correct assertions about the details of the case and to apologise to the British Heart Foundation, which employed McMonagle following the provision of the references. And the continuing insistence that senior party members failed to recognise McMonagle when he was present in his new role at functions they attended strains credulity.
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The party’s leader and deputy leader have each issued statements on the matter in recent days. Both Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill have offered heartfelt apologies for their party’s failings and have promised a “complete overhaul” of internal governance. These expressions of contrition and commitment to reform are no doubt sincere. But the affair is a further blow to the credibility of a party struggling to regain lost ground in the run-up to a general election.