Mary Lou McDonald addresses Michael McMonagle case in Dáil and apologies to BHF over controversy
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00:00Michael McMonigle is guilty of vile and egregious offences against children.
00:06His actions were despicable, disgusting and criminal.
00:10There is no crime more heinous than the abuse and sexual interference with the child.
00:16The trauma caused is always deep and it lasts a long time, often a lifetime.
00:23He will now face the full weight of the law
00:25and his victims will see him punished for what he has done.
00:30McMonigle was immediately suspended as a member of Sinn Féin and from his position
00:35as press officer when first questioned by the PSNI on these matters in 2021.
00:42The PSNI has pursued its investigation to a successful outcome.
00:47In our response to the McMonigle case Sinn Féin acted
00:50entirely properly and in accordance with child protection protocols.
00:55What we've seen in recent weeks, whether the McMonigle affair,
00:58the recent exodus of TDs, Amin's claims of censorship and kangaroo courts,
01:03or indeed a senator sending inappropriate texts to a child,
01:06Sinn Féin's management of the issues has been highly flawed.
01:10Whether in opposition or as Minister, I have been on the record when it comes to
01:14the importance of safeguarding and holding organisations and people to account when
01:19failures occur. Sinn Féin representatives have stood in this House criticising government
01:25when issues of safeguarding arise, and rightly so.
01:28However, the government at all times is transparent in how the issues are being
01:33addressed and the victims supported. Now that the spotlight is on Sinn Féin for such issues,
01:39this couldn't be further from the truth. Whether flip-flopping on criminality of issues,
01:44leaving the British Heart Foundation in a very exposed position,
01:48or ever-changing timelines, at a time when transparency is so important,
01:53an acknowledgement of failures is required up front,
01:56and a readiness to address issues openly should be to the fore.
01:59I want to take the opportunity on the floor of the Dáil to apologise to both the British Heart
02:05Foundation and to young Daithi McGowan and his family for being dragged into this controversy.
02:11But we will call out political opponents attempting to exploit these issues for electoral
02:17advantage. And ladies and gentlemen, your cynicism is matched only by your hypocrisy,
02:24which is truly, truly breathtaking.
02:28The political cut and thrust can be bruising, and I accept that comes with the territory.
02:41But as we now get ready to go to the people, as we ask people for their votes and their trust,
02:47we should remember that there is a fundamental responsibility to the children and young people
02:53at the centre of these matters. And that responsibility, and that responsibility
03:00alone, should be the priority for all of us.
03:04Indeed, if Sinn Féin's internal procedures are as robust as their party leader has claimed they are,
03:09I do wonder why she was prompted to order a review of them
03:12when the revelations about Michael McMonagle's conviction and how that was dealt with emerged.
03:17Minister O'Gorman opened by saying that child protection is simply too important to be used
03:24as a political football. In fairness to Minister O'Gorman, he didn't engage in political football
03:31through his speech. He set out some issues, I will get into them, but a very inadequate
03:36approach in terms of his department, but he spoke about the issues of child protection.
03:40That approach of not using this as a political football lasted for as long as Minister O'Gorman
03:45was speaking, and then all subsequent government speakers, in reality, were all about using it as
03:51a political football. That's why we're debating this today, shamefully, is for the topic to be
03:58used as a political football. And I think most people around the country are quite unhappy to
04:04see that this is how this issue is being treated. I'd like to begin by stating the absolute central
04:10importance of child protection, and while central to work in my department, it must be something
04:15which every one of us is cognizant of and take with the utmost seriousness. I think it's simply
04:21too important to be used as a political football. I said last week when they were calling me in the
04:25door, was just a brinksmanship and a showmanship from the government trying to get one over on Sinn
04:30Féin. Nothing as naked and as blatant. When there are children in state care, children who have gone
04:38missing, and children who have been failed by Tuesday, and failed by this government,
04:44and shame yourself, you'll be not trying to score points. First of all, I have to say that
04:50the whole issue of the protection of children, to see this being used as some sort of a vehicle
04:57at getting at Sinn Féin, and I'm no spokesman for Sinn Féin, but I don't want to see this being used
05:04in the way that I feel it is being used. I don't agree with that. It doesn't sit well with me.