Michelle O’Neill pressed at Stormont over Michael McMonagle

Over the weekend O’Neill, who is Sinn Féin’s vice-president, apologised for the hurt and distress caused by the controversy.

Speaking in the assembly on Monday afternoon, O’Neill repeated this apology, and said she is “absolutely and totally committed to ensuring that the strongest and most robust child protection and safeguarding processes and policies are in place”.

“As a mother and a grandmother, I assert my absolute determination, both political and personal, to protect all children,” she said.

O’Neill added: “The issues that have arisen over recent days result primarily from the actions of two former press officers, who have now resigned from their employment and Sinn Féin.”

Earlier, the head of the BHF in Northern Ireland said workers were dismayed when senior Sinn Féin members appeared to question the organisation’s due diligence in relation to the recruitment.

Last 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”.

Mr McKinney said O’Neill has since “expressed regret”, privately, about the comments.