Connect with us

News

Sinn Féin knew of references last year, says charity

Published

on

Sinn Féin knew of references last year, says charity
BBC McMonagle before entering court BBC

Michael McMonagle pleaded guilty in September to a series of child sex offences

The British Heart Foundation has said it told a senior Sinn Féin official that two of its press officers had provided references for Michael McMonagle in August 2023.

The charity employed the former Sinn Féin press officer, who was under investigation for child sex offences, in September 2022 after neither reference “raised a concern about his suitability for employment”.

This contradicts what Sinn Féin minister Conor Murphy told BBC News NI, that the first time the party became aware of the references was last Wednesday following a media query.

Questions have been mounting on Sinn Féin this week over their handling of the case.

Advertisement

Last month, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted to a series of child sex offences.

The party has been criticised for not alerting the charity to McMonagle’s police investigation.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill also denied knowing that McMonagle had taken up the new job with the charity, despite the pair attending the same event to support organ donation at Stormont in 2023.

‘Appalled and horrified’

Advertisement

On Tuesday, Stormont’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy said it was “inexplicable” the references were provided and Sinn Féin only became aware of it last Wednesday.

“No one was informed, no permission was sought, no advice was sought in relation to dealing with it,” he told BBC News NI.

On Saturday, First Minister Michelle O’Neill reiterated Murphy’s claim that the party was unaware of the references until last week.

“On Wednesday 25 September 2024, Sinn Féin and I were informed that two press officers, who were former colleagues of Michael McMonagle, had provided employment references for him,” O’Neill said in a statement.

Advertisement

“I am absolutely appalled and horrified that this occurred. These references were given without the knowledge or authorisation of the party. Under no circumstances would the party provide a reference, for work or otherwise, for Michael McMonagle.”

PA Media Michelle O’Neill wearing a black blazer and green shirt PA Media

Michelle O’Neill this morning reiterated her anger and disgust that two former press officers at Stormont had provided references to Michael McMonagle.

‘Unhelpful’ comments

The work references were provided three months after McMonagle was dismissed from the party while under police investigation.

Sinn Féin said the references were provided without clearance from the party and described their actions as wrong and unacceptable.

Advertisement

Ms O’Neill has said “decisive action” was taken to ensure that both individuals “were held accountable for their unacceptable actions”.

Earlier this week, O’Neill said there were lessons for a lot of people in terms of “due diligence for an employer when they take on an employee”.

In a statement, the head of the British Heart Foundation, Fearghal McKinney, said O’Neill has since “expressed regret” about questioning the charity’s due diligence.

The first minister spoke to Mr McKinney in a telephone call on Saturday.

Advertisement

“Michelle O’Neill agreed recent comments by her and party colleagues questioning the BHF’s due diligence process were unhelpful, and she expressed regret for the damage and upset this has caused to our dedicated staff and supporters,” he said.

A spokesperson from the British Heart Foundation said it has “robust recruitment and safeguarding processes”.

Who is Michael McMonagle ?

Mr McMonagle had worked for Sinn Féin for around seven years, first as a policy advisor at Stormont and later as a press officer in the North West until his arrest in 2021, after which his employment with the party ended.

Advertisement

He was then employed by the British Heart Foundation charity a year later, having received references from two other former Sinn Féin press officers.

The references, provided by Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley, raised no “concern about his suitability for employment or referenced an ongoing police investigation or suspension from his previous employment”, according to the charity.

Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley later resigned after it emerged that they had provided the references without clearance from the party, who condemned their actions.

In September, McMonagle, of Limewood Street in Londonderry, admitted to a series of child sex offences.

Advertisement

The offences relate to various dates between May 2020 and August 2021, and include charges of attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.

In a statement, the charity said it was “made aware of the arrest of and subsequent criminal charges against the individual by a media query on Saturday 29th July 2023 and we suspended him as soon as possible on Monday 31st July 2023”.

It added that it “reviewed the recruitment process for the individual”.

As part of that review, it says “on 3 August 2023 we had email dialogue with a senior Sinn Féin HR official where we shared that we had two references from Sinn Féin”.

Advertisement

It states that it is therefore “confident that it fully complied with its policy in relation to obtaining reference checks”.

‘Shut down the story’

PA Media Gavin Robinson pictured outside wearing a grey suit, green tie and spectacles. PA Media

Gavin Robinson says that the public were not satisfied with the answers provided so far by Sinn Féin

On Friday, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Mr Robinson told the PA news agency that the public were not satisfied with the answers provided so far by Sinn Féin on the issue.

He said: “I think it is clear to see that from the outset they tried to shut the story down.

Advertisement

“You can see that there are new questions emerging and answers that really aren’t satisfying people.”

Speaking to BBC News NI earlier this week, Sinn Féin Minister Conor Murphy said the party did not warn the British Heart Foundation as it could “potentially be prejudicial” to the police investigation.

A few days later, PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher contradicted Murphy’s claims and said that he did not see how it would have prejudiced the case.

He added that he did not want the PSNI to get involved in a political “tit-for-tat”.

Advertisement

On Friday, Alliance leader Naomi Long said that Sinn Féin should consider whether it’s actions were “appropriate”, while the DUP’s Paul Givan has called for “more transparency” from the party.

Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Man, 22, arrested over ‘attempted murder’ after driver ‘ploughed into crowd’ outside nightclub’s Freshers’ event – The Sun

Published

on

Man, 22, arrested over ‘attempted murder’ after driver ‘ploughed into crowd’ outside nightclub’s Freshers’ event – The Sun

A MAN,22, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a driver ‘ploughed into a group of people at a Freshers’ event’.

Two people remain in hospital after the horror unfolded outside The Tunnel Club – one of Birmingham‘s longest-running nightclubs – at around 3am on Friday.

A police presence on Livery Street in Birmingham

1

A police presence on Livery Street in BirminghamCredit: SWNS

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We’ve arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a number of people were injured when a car was driven at people in Livery Street in Birmingham on Friday morning.

Advertisement

“The 22-year-old was arrested at a property in the city just before 9am today and has been taken into custody for questioning.

“We were called to disorder in Livery Street at around 3am yesterday.

“A number of people were injured when a car was driven at a group outside The Tunnel nightclub.

“The car was then driven away from the scene. It’s believed six people were injured during the incident all together, and five were taken to hospital.

Advertisement

“Two of the injured remain in hospital, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. One of them is under arrest on suspicion of affray.”

Det Ch Insp Dave Sproson, from Birmingham Police, said: “We’re working hard to understand exactly what happened and why.

“At this stage, we believe this to have been an isolated and deliberate attack linked to an earlier incident inside the nightclub.

“The investigation continues to make good progress, but we’d still appeal for anyone with information or mobile phone images to get in touch via our dedicated website.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Money

I followed easy Martin Lewis tips and saved £423 in just 40 minutes – how to do it too

Published

on

I followed easy Martin Lewis tips and saved £423 in just 40 minutes - how to do it too

A SAVVY customer has shared how they managed to shave hundreds off their home insurance bill by using a nifty Martin Lewis hack.

The saver named Fiona told readers of Martin’s MoneySavingExpert about how she pocketed the hefty £423.

You can cut your home insurance costs with one simple trick

1

You can cut your home insurance costs with one simple trickCredit: Getty

“I received a renewal notice which shot up by a few hundred quid to £866 (for a standard four-bed),” she said.

Advertisement

“Your newsletter landed, I used your tips and which comparison websites to use, and 40 minutes later I found the exact same cover for £443!

“A huge saving of £423, woohoo!

“Thank you so much!”

Fiona was following the money-saving whizz’s advice to “combine comparison sites for 100s of quotes in minutes – don’t assume they’re all the same.”

Advertisement

It continues: “Never just auto-renew – there’s no guarantee your existing insurer will give you the cheapest or best cover.

“It’s always worth a check elsewhere. Comparison sites zip your info to dozens of insurers and brokers at once.

“Yet don’t just use one as a) they can cover different insurers, and b) they often have different prices for the same firm.”

It comes as home insurance premiums soared this earlier this year in a blow for households.

Advertisement

Premiums increased by 19% between the first three months of 2023 and the same time period this year, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Martin Lewis energy warning

The body, which represents industry, said the average combined buildings and contents premium was £375 at the start of the year.

What is home insurance?

Home insurance is designed to cover you in the event of fire, flood, or theft or loss of any item inside it.

It’s not a legal requirement, unlike car insurance, but it can be useful if something goes awry.

Advertisement

There are two types of home insurance policy – contents and buildings.

Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing any damage to the structure of your property which might have been caused by a fire or flooding.

The “building” includes elements like your roof, walls and floors as well as permanent fixtures such as windows or fitted kitchens.

Contents insurance says what it does on the tin – it covers you in case the contents of your home are damaged, lost or stolen.

Advertisement

How else to save money on home insurance

There’s a few other ways you can save money on your home insurance…

Ceri McMillan, insurance expert at Go Compare previously told The Sun renewing your policy 27 days ahead of it expiring could save you £60.

And at the very least, don’t wait for your policy to auto-renew as you’ll likely pay more than if you shop around for a cheaper deal.

If you’ve got the money up front, it’s worth paying for your premium in one lump sum as well.

Advertisement

Ceri previously told The Sun you can save around 10% on your premium using the trick.

When does the price cap change?

OFGEM reviews the cap on unit rates for those on the default tariff every three months.

This means the energy price cap can move up or down at four different points in the year.

Advertisement

Price cap rates are updated on the following dates:

  • January 1
  • April 1
  • July 1
  • October 1

The ABI said the average home insurance premium was £341 in 2023, which means you could save around £34.

Combining contents and buildings policies rather than paying for them separately could save you £100 a year as well, according to Confused.com.

Installing a burglar alarm can help drive down your premium price as well, albeit after the initial up front cost.

Consumer group Which? says you can get an alarm for around £100, and install it yourself to save extra cash.

Advertisement

You can buy either buildings or contents policies separately, or combined so you are covered across all scenarios.

Not all home insurance policies cover the same things though, so it’s worth shopping around.

You can use price comparison websites like Compare the Market, GoCompare and Uswitch.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Doctors And Nurses Are Revealing The Medical “Lies” People Should Stop Believing

Published

on

Doctors And Nurses Are Revealing The Medical "Lies" People Should Stop Believing

We recently wrote a post where doctors and nurses shared the medical “lies” people should stop believing. In the comments, even more medical professionals shared surprising health misconceptions. Here’s what they had to say:

Note: Some responses were pulled from this Reddit thread.

1.“Your water breaking is RARELY like on TV. Most folks don’t wind up with a giant puddle. You might feel a pop (or not), you might think you peed yourself, and when you move or have a contraction, it’ll usually keep leaking until you deliver.”

It’s also NOT an emergency! Don’t freak out and drive like a bat outta hell. Yes, if your water breaks, we’d like you to head to the hospital, especially if your labor hasn’t started on its own, because you might need help to get it going in a timely fashion. But unless you’re bleeding, or the fluid is greenish/brown, or the baby hasn’t been moving like normal, it’s ok to grab your go bag at a safe, normal pace. No screaming, speeding, or ambulances required.

Advertisement

bedlamcreek

Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up, wearing a hospital gown, screams in a medical setting with doctors in blue scrubs nearby

Universal Pictures

2.“Pharmacist here. Please don’t confuse side effects with allergies. Weight gain with prednisone is a side effect. Nausea and itching with codeine and morphine are side effects. A documented allergy to a medication on your chart will trigger an alert with any similar medication.”

“Can’t get codeine? Better not order vicidin or percocet for that patient!”

tjjennin

Advertisement

3.“People believe ‘if you are an organ donor, emergency crews are less likely to save you if you are badly injured so they can get your organs.’ No. Stop it.”

u/TheCrawdad

4.“When you have an IV site, there isn’t a needle in your arm. There is a tiny, flexible, plastic catheter, and it’s not going to tear through your veins and skin if you bend your elbow.”

u/wicksa

Advertisement
A person's arm in a hospital bed with an intravenous (IV) line inserted, wearing a hospital gown and a medical wristband

Olaia Salvador / Getty Images

5.“Wearing high heels is not harmless and can lead to foot problems. When wearing sneakers, your weight is distributed all over your feet in a healthier, more comfortable pattern. When you’re on high heels, that redistributes your weight in a way that can damage your heel.”

u/upvoter222

6.“I’m a surgeon. ‘We can’t find anything wrong with you’ does NOT mean ‘nothing is wrong with you.’ Medicine is not nearly as advanced as most people think. There was a time we had no idea what multiple sclerosis (MS) was. So, all those people suffering from MS were told, ‘We don’t know what’s wrong with you. Our tests all came back normal.’”

lisafatgirlnamemcquade

Advertisement

7.“Reading in the dark won’t make your vision worse. It just affects the type of light entering your eye; it doesn’t change anything within the organ itself. You may feel a little uncomfortable and deal with some eye strain, but there’s no long-term problem.”

u/upvoter222

Person reading a book in bed with a lamp on, wrapped in white sheets

Westend61 / Getty Images

8.“Doctor here, but I need to say this: Your doctor/provider may not know best. Get a second or third opinion when dealing with a difficult diagnosis or a diagnosis that will need potential surgery. Specialists and surgeons will have different approaches to the same disease.”

Keep your medical records organized: copies of recent labs, imaging studies, medications, etc. This will reduce duplicate studies and labs and help inform your doctor/specialist while keeping costs down. Always get a CD/film of your imaging study, and take it to any relevant doctor visit — unless they are in the same system.”

Advertisement

u/tpsreports123

“We will never, EVER mind if you ask for a second opinion. If your case is difficult, we have probably already gotten multiple other doctors’ opinions.”

lisafatgirlnamemcquade

9.“Mostly for older people: If you have a catheter in your urethra, you do not need to pee; it’s peeing for you.”

Advertisement

u/wicksa

10.“Taking 1000 mg+ of vitamin C a day isn’t necessary. Your body only absorbs a certain amount and pisses the rest out.”

—Anonymous

A hand is stirring a wooden spoon with white powder into a glass of orange juice

Beo88 / Getty Images

11.“That ‘pulling the plug,’ as seen on every TV show, is shenanigans. It drives me up the wall to see people unplug an IV, only to watch a person choke to death. They’re battery-powered.”

Advertisement

u/farnswiggle

12.“Don’t stop taking medications just because you ‘feel better.’ This includes antibiotics, but I’m talking about all meds (psych, blood pressure, insulin, and steroids). You feel better because the medicine is working and doing its job! (Duh). Even if you legitimately don’t need them anymore, many meds can cause bad side effects if stopped cold turkey. You need to wean off.”

“Also, make sure you research HOW the medications should be taken. With or without food? At night or in the morning? Can they be taken with other medications, or will they be more effective if taken alone? These little things are important.”

u/PixieNurse

Advertisement

13.“Parents with kids over 18: No, I cannot give you health information on your child after they turn 18. It’s called HIPAA. Also, ethics.”

—Anonymous

A doctor speaks with a seated patient in a medical office. Posters about vaccination and the muscular system are on the wall behind them

Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

14.“If you’re clinically dead and are brought back to life, there’s a good chance you won’t last long afterward. You don’t just get up and get back to life; you probably suffered brain damage from a lack of oxygen for X amount of minutes.”

u/PhotographerMan

Advertisement

“I’ve been a trauma nurse for two years and can definitely confirm this. I have seen 672 patients require CPR. Of the 672, only 23 lived.”

—Anonymous

15.“Clinical assistant for an urgent care here. Masks are NOT just for COVID. They were used in clinical settings before then and will continue to be used. We don’t care if you’ve tested negative for COVID; you could carry another highly transmissible virus, like strep or the flu.”

“If we ask you to wear a mask because of your symptoms, either take it and put it on or go wait in your car.

Advertisement

fillionfan4002

16.“A defibrillator isn’t used to restart a heart that has stopped beating. It is used to stop the fibrillation of the heart and will ‘reset’ it to its normal rhythm. Thanks to TV shows and movies, many people have this misconception about what the device will do and what it’s meant for.”

“Also, when the shock is administered, the patient won’t spasm violently. The muscles in the chest area will contract, but it’s nowhere near as violent as often portrayed.”

u/Reqol

Advertisement
Two surgeons in scrubs and masks in an operating room, holding defibrillator paddles, looking down at the camera

Peter M. Fisher / Getty Images

17.“So many people have weird ideas about losing weight that involve weird dietary restrictions and only eating certain food groups. If you want to lose weight, you need to watch what you eat and reduce calories. Don’t starve yourself. You’ll be miserable and have lots of cravings. Instead, try to find healthier alternatives to what you currently buy.”

u/upvoter222

18.“A few air bubbles in the IV line or a syringe will not kill you. In fact, it takes a WHOLE lot of air to be injected into you even to affect you.”

u/wicksa

Advertisement

And finally…

19.“[There is a proper way to wash your hands.] Do you actually wash your whole hand when washing? Between the fingers and all around…”

u/MildlyMild

There are specific, numbered steps to hand washing that we are tested on, and if we do it incorrectly, we fail and have to retest the next time they can give us a date. This even includes how to dry your hands and wrists after washing. It’s also why many CNAs/LPNs/RNs can’t wear fingernail polish at work. It’s a health concern because bacteria can get between the polish and the nail, and washing your hands is harder.”

Advertisement

u/CosmicDustbunny

Hands lathered with soap under running water, demonstrating proper handwashing technique

Peopleimages / Getty Images

Fellow doctors and nurses, what are some other medical “lies” people should stop believing? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Dragon Drones Take on Tanks in Unconventional Ukrainian Warfare

Published

on

Dragon Drones Take on Tanks in Unconventional Ukrainian Warfare

Ukrainian forces have ramped up their use of “dragon drones” on the battlefield, a tactic that has proven effective for targeting Russian tanks.

Drone Vs. Tank

Originally deployed to incinerate Russian trenches in forested areas, these drones have evolved to destroy armored vehicles, marking a significant development in Ukraine’s drone warfare capabilities, according to WP.

Footage has emerged showing a Russian tank being struck by a guided anti-tank missile, followed by a dragon drone dropping thermite on the disabled vehicle.

This thermite, a mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide, ignites at extremely high temperatures, often exceeding 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 degrees Celsius), making it effective for penetrating tank armor and concrete bunkers.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

News

Bukayo Saka sets the tone for an Arsenal side that has to be bolder

Published

on

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Arsenal 3-1 Southampton (Havertz 58’, Martinelli 68’, Saka 88’ | Archer 55’)

EMIRATES – It is a strange quirk of the week Arsenal have just enjoyed that over a spell of seven days, three games and nine goals scored, there can still be question marks raised over their creativity.

Indeed had a scare against Southampton not proven short-lived, this might have been a chastening tale of why Mikel Arteta should have been bolder in his initial team selection – but thanks to Bukayo Saka, all this is once again a footnote.

Saka’s goal and two assists blew away any fears about Arsenal’s ability to cope with such an intense run of fixtures while battling a growing injury list. At 23, he now has just one less Premier League goal contribution (91) than Ryan Giggs at the same age. No player in the top five European leagues is matching him for assists this season. Not bad for a player who, in the non-sensical world of football punditry, was the subject of debate this week over whether he is indeed “world-class”.

Advertisement

Arsenal needed it too, with the decision to start Thomas Partey at right-back leaving a central partnership of Jorginho and Declan Rice restricted. If not ultra-conservative, it felt unnecessary against a winless Southampton, and in order to facilitate Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz was then also forced deeper.

For a brief moment, as Cameron Archer latched onto a ball over the top, beat William Saliba and then David Raya, it might have been fatal. It wasn’t. Predictably, Flynn Downes was dispossessed close to the box, and Kai Havertz raced at Taylor Harwood-Bellis before scoring in his seventh home game in a row.

Amid fears that Jurrien Timber’s absence would render Arsenal immobile down the right, Partey can feel vindicated in his role for the part he played in cutting inside and teeing up Gabriel Martinelli, who narrowly stayed onside to put the ball through Aaron Ramsdale on the goalkeeper’s return to the Emirates.

And when substitute Leandro Trossard raced through to set up Saka for the third, it was a run full of the energy Arsenal had been missing for the previous half an hour.

Advertisement

So Saka’s heroics were only part of the story. Opportunities were always going to come against a Southampton as self-sabotaging as Russell Martin’s but Arsenal still had to be patient.

The defining moment was not one of the goals, but the double substitution that transformed the tone around the hour mark. Jesus and Jorginho off, Trossard and Mikel Merino on. Arsenal desperately needed a goal, but it was one at the other end, and the substitutions that came shortly afterwards, that helped them come alive.

Arteta was chastised for his initial starting XI, but deserves praise for turning it on its head. Martinelli is an example too to those around him for the manner in which he has revived his career this season.

The question for Arteta now is how much these dry spells bother him when Arsenal are eventually capable of turning on the style spectacularly, just as they did against Leicester City last weekend.

Advertisement

Martin Odegaard is still missed. There is hope he will be fit after the international break, and in the meantime there could be a greater role for Ethan Nwaneri. It is to his immense credit that at 17, so many already see him as the solution to Arsenal’s occasional staleness. But it is Saka who remains the game-changer.

Source link

Continue Reading

News

Matt Peet explains key Wigan Warriors absence as Leigh Leopards also dealt blow

Published

on

Matt Peet explains key Wigan Warriors absence as Leigh Leopards also dealt blow


Wigan host Leigh in the second Super League semi-final.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 WordupNews.com