P.A.
Mr O’Neill has corrected the age of a teenager sent inappropriate texts by former Irish senator and mayor of Belfast.
Michelle O’Neill has corrected Stormont’s records regarding the age of the teenage boy who received inappropriate emails from former Irish senator Niall Ó Donghail.
On Monday, the First Minister and Deputy Leader of Sinn Féin told the Northern Ireland Parliament that the party’s membership file said the boy was 17 at the time.
However, the young man said he was 16 years old.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is also expected to formally correct the record in the Dáil later.
On Tuesday, Mr O’Neill told Parliament he “fully accepted” the age and wanted to correct the information on his record.
She said it was her understanding that the young man was 17 years old, based on the information he had provided on his application to join Sinn Féin.
She also reiterated her apology to Mr Ó Donghail, saying she “really regrets any harm caused” by the party’s statement following his resignation in December 2023.
Monday: Senator sends email to Sinn Féin politicians asking questions about teenage age
Mr O’Neill was facing calls to return to parliament after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) tabled an urgent question.
She has also been asked to return to Stormont’s executive committee on Wednesday for further questioning, but this is yet to be confirmed.
PA media
Niall O Donghail will resign from the Seanad in December 2023
How did we get here?
Sinn Féin has been under fire over the past week over its handling of Mr Ó Donghail’s suspension and resignation.
Former Belfast mayor Ó Donghail was suspended by Sinn Féin over the matter, but the party did not disclose the charges against him and announced that he would resign in 2023 for health reasons. admitted.
The call for clarification about the teenager’s age comes after the Sunday Independent said the boy was 16 years old at the time the text messages were sent and not 17 as MacDonald and O’Neill had previously stated. It was published in response to the article.
The messages are believed to have been personal in nature, but were not sexually explicit.
The party has also faced questions about its safeguarding policies after two former spokespeople made references to their former colleague, convicted child sex offender Michael McMonagle.
It was revealed on Monday that a Sinn Féin official had resigned after admitting involvement in an incident in which a portrait of former DUP mayor Lord Browne was defaced.
Speaking in Stormont on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the staff member had been “immediately suspended” and reported to police.
Reuters
Mary Lou McDonald plans to correct Dale’s record later
MacDonald said Monday that she would respond “fully” to the boy’s account of the incident and would correct Dale’s records to confirm his correct age.
“It’s very important that the Dáil record is accurate, so of course it will be corrected,” Mr McDonald said.
McDonald’s also plans to issue a full apology to the boy.
“He will be given a clear and full apology. To me he is a young man who deserves to feel completely comfortable within Sinn Féin. What happened to him was wrong,” she said. .
“Mr Niall O’Donhail’s behavior was unacceptable and completely inappropriate. No young person should have to go through something like that.”
On Monday night, Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin accepted the boy’s own account of being 16 years old at the time.
“It’s clear that Michelle (O’Neill) is right because that person knows his age. Party records show he is 17 years old and his membership application also shows that. “It was listed,” McDonald said.
“But that doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is that the young people in question are adequately addressed. And what’s important is that Dale’s record is accurate. I intend to address both of those issues tomorrow. is.”
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the party’s records on the boy’s age were “based on his date of birth as stated in his membership papers at the time”.
A spokeswoman said it had “since been established” that the boy was 16 years old.
