Fine Gael has stepped up its defence of its Louth candidate John McGahon in the face of widespread criticism from rival parties over his suitability, arguing his acquittal on criminal charges is the relevant test.
For a second day running, Taoiseach Simon Harris and senior colleagues were required to defend the 34-year-old Senator following the emergence of video footage showing him striking a man several times in the head during a late-night incident in 2018. Contemporaneous pictures of the victim, Breen White, showing extensive bruising on his face were also published in a newspaper on Sunday.
The controversy dominated sections of the televised 10-way RTÉ leaders’ debate on Monday evening with Mr Harris called on repeatedly to defend Mr McGahon, and also the party’s decision to endorse him as a candidate.
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Mr McGahon faced charges of assault causing harm arising out of the incident but was acquitted by a jury when the case came to trial in 2022. However, in a civil action taken by Mr White, a jury concluded in May 2024 that the Louth Senator was 65 per cent responsible for the assault. He was ordered to pay €39,000 in damages to the victim. He was selected as a candidate for the five-seat constituency after the civil case was concluded.
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Mr Harris argued that the standard for suitability as a candidate should be based on the criminal and not civil courts.
“The jury looked at all of the footage and a judge looked at all the footage and a jury acquitted him,” he said. “That has to be the standard that we hold in terms of our criminal justice system in Ireland.”
But leaders of the other two big parties, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, dismissed Mr Harris’s description of the incident as a skirmish. Both said separately that Mr McGahon would not have been accepted as a candidate if he were a member of their parties.
Asked about the staunch defence of Mr McGahon by the Taoiseach, Mr Martin replied: “I am surprised at his decision to double down on this candidature.”
Commenting on the video footage, Ms McDonald said: “It think it is very disturbing and very violent, a lot of blows to the victim’s head. It’s very shocking to see anybody in public life behave like that.”
Mr Martin said what he had seen on the video was a “vicious assault”.
“I was shocked to see the photograph. There were cuts and bruises. I did not understand that that was the nature and severity of the assault.”
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Mr Harris and senior colleagues, including Paschal Donohoe, continued to emphasise the fact that Mr McGahon was acquitted by a jury of his peers in interviews on Monday.
Mr McGahon did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. There was no indication of his name being withdrawn as a candidate as the deadline for nominations closed.
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Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan deputised for party leader Holly Cairns in the debate. Ms Cairns is expecting her first child this weekend.
The Labour Party launched its manifesto on Monday and pledged to spend €6 billion of the Apple tax fund to establish a State construction company to build on State-owned land. It also promised a living wage which would be 60 per cent of median hourly earnings.
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