“…uncertainty eases the way for con artists to make fraudulent claims”
-Rob Nelson
Listening to Carlo Gebler’s new podcast series for BBC Radio 4 on the Provisional IRA’s mass escape from the Maze Prison back in September 1983 you cannot fail to be impressed with its meticulous planning and ruthless execution by the prisoners.
Organisation was to become the hallmark of Sinn Féin’s electoral success as they moved from a twin track armed/democratic struggle to a latter day commitment to electoral means of, in Danny Morrison’s famous term, taking power north and south.
And it was the very centralised nature of such tenacious organisation and forceful control that saw them displace the SDLP as the lead party of nationalism in Northern Ireland in almost all but a few vestigial redoubts across Northern Ireland.
Those with long memories will remember how in 2011 the then Lord Mayor of Belfast Niall Ó Donnghaile stopped an award ceremony to check with headquarters if he should hand teenage girl a Duke of Edinburgh Award who was an Army Cadet.
Things have gotten looser these days. The once ever present minder who accompanied every MLA and TD is now as likely to be replaced with a small video production team to narrate the work and pilgrims’ progress of its rising stars as any rep from HQ.
Still nothing moves in Sinn Fein without its leadership being involved in key decisions that affect the party. Yet in its shifting story on its own mishandling of Michael McMonagle, it now claims only three people in SF knew.
This, along with the First Minister’s odd apology (she insists she knew nothing), comes after the British Heart Foundation stated how and when they formally asked Sinn Fein for confirmation of his employment and the references it then issued.
It’s important to understand here that many large employers no longer authorise staff to issue such references any more because they can render the issuing body open to a legal liability if they are found to be misleading in any way.
The only thing that these three (an ex HR person and the two sacked PROs) have in common is that they’re the only ones who have been named by external inquiry. Mag Uidhir was a senior spokesman so it’s inconceivable he didn’t kick this upwards.
In his opinion piece today Tom Kelly counts Sinn Féin amongst Alliance, SDLP, Social Democrats and Labour. But you have got to ask yourself what sort of party leader (or leaders) in the case of Sinn Féin leaves handling of a case as serious as this to a HR?
That’s the excuse Eoin Ó Broin posed last Wednesday on Morning Ireland (listen here at 1.55.40) when he claimed the party only knew McMonagle was working for the BHF in the last two weeks, despite it featuring in a newspaper report last December.
According to The Irish Times this morning Taoiseach Simon Harris has noted:
Somebody who actually carried out a sexual crime against a child was moved from a political party to a charity, and that move was facilitated by employer references provided by that party. There seems to be some sort of vow of omerta taken in terms of properly discussing this issue.
Whilst Tanaiste Micheál Martin said:
“I think the leadership of Sinn Féin should clarify the position who, what and when and so forth,” he told reporters at his party’s Cairde Fáil dinner in Dublin. “At the moment it is revelation after revelation.”
“I don’t believe that any other party on this island would behave in the same way that Sinn Féin has in the face of profoundly serious questions about a former employee charged with terrible crimes.”
Ultimately however Regina Doherty’s goes directly to the heart of the matter: it just not credible that three senior employees of the party did not tell anyone about their contacts with the BHF in relation to McMonagle.
So Mary Lou and Michelle, who had knowledge? And if you won’t answer, then perhaps an external investigation with full permission to get to the base of the question is needed. Perhaps, as Mairia Cahill suggests: a committee of inquiry?
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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