Mary Lou McDonald apologises for statement on Niall Ó Donnghaile's resignation

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has apologised for issuing a statement about Niall O Donnghaile’s resignation.

She also confirmed that she had written to the young person who had received inappropriate texts to personally apologise to him and his mother.

The former Senator resigned from Sinn Féin in October 2023 after the party learned he had been sending inappropriate text messages to a teenager.

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His resignation was announced on December 21, 2023, with two statements from the party stating he was standing down for health reasons.

This included a statement from Ms McDonald saying that he had "served diligently" and that she hoped he could "overcome the health challenges".

In an article in the Sunday Independent, the young person involved said this statement was a "mental stab".

He also stated he was 16 and not 17 when the incident occurred.

Ms McDonald corrected the Dáil record regarding his age on Tuesday and apologised for the hurt caused by her statement in December 2023.

"I would first like to address information which I placed on the Dáil record last week relating to an incident where a Sinn Fein representative sent inappropriate text messages to a young person," she said.

"It was then my understanding that the young person was 17 years of age because of the information provided on his application form when he applied to Ogra Shinn Féin. That information was wrong.

"The young person themselves has made clear that he was, in fact, 16 at the time. So I want to correct the Dail record to reflect that he was, in fact, 16 years of age when these texts were sent.

"I have now written to the young person and his mother, offering a full, unequivocal and sincere apology.

"What happened to this young person was wrong. Niall Ó Donnghaile’s behaviour was unacceptable, utterly inappropriate and no young person should have experienced that.

"I am also very sorry for the hurt that my words caused in the statement that I issued following his resignation.

"That was never, ever my intention. I apologise to that young person for issuing that statement."

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, meanwhile, said she "fully accepts" that a young person was 16.

Ms O'Neill told the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday that party records showed the teenager was 17 when the texts were sent.

She returned to the Chamber on Tuesday to make an updated statement.

She added: "What happened to this young person was wrong. Niall O Donnghaile's behaviour was unacceptable and entirely inappropriate and no young person should have experienced that.

"As I said yesterday, I am absolutely so sorry for the hurt caused by the statement issued following his resignation."

Separately, Ms O'Neill also told the Assembly that a Sinn Fein member has resigned from the party after admitting involvement in damaging the portrait of a former DUP lord mayor at Belfast City Hall.

An investigation had been launched after the official portrait of Lord Wallace Browne was damaged at the weekend.

Elsewhere, Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell was appointed chairperson of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Dáil on Tuesday afternoon.

There was no debate on the matter and no vote called, despite suggestions last week that Government and the Labour Party would not support her appointment.

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