Tanaiste ‘surprised’ over Fine Gael supporting McGahon candidacy

The leader of Fianna Fail has said he is “shocked” by video footage showing Fine Gael candidate John McGahon in an altercation in which another man was injured.

Micheal Martin said Mr McGahon would not be running in the election if he was a member of Fianna Fail, while Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman urged caution over “cancelling” election candidates.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has continued to defend Fine Gael’s decision to select Mr McGahon as an election candidate for Louth despite photos showing injuries suffered by the man after the incident in 2018.

Mr McGahon was found not guilty of assaulting Breen White outside a Dundalk nightclub in a criminal case two years ago but a High Court civil action earlier this year found him liable, with Mr White awarded a sum of damages against Mr McGahon.

Photos were published in a Sunday newspaper showing the facial injuries suffered by Mr White.

Mr Harris said he had seen a video of the incident on the internet, but added that he did not believe it was the full footage.

He added that the jury saw all the footage before acquitting Mr McGahon.

“Political parties will say what they wish to say at an election, and obviously there’s a very competitive election going on in Co Louth and I’m very conscious of that,” he told the media in Dublin.

“The reality of the situation is all of these issues were litigated in front of a court. A jury sat, a jury looked at all of the evidence, all of the CCTV, all of the photos.

“A defence of self-defence was put forward in the court, and John McGahon was acquitted by a jury of his peers.

“Of course, if he had not been acquitted, if he’d been found guilty by a criminal court, we’d be in a very different situation.”

He added: “It’s interesting, these facts have been known for a very long period of time, and obviously, now that there’s an election and there’s a focus in relation to this, but ultimately (it will) be up to the people of Louth to decide, but John McGahon was duly selected in Louth after being acquitted by a jury of his peers of assault.”

Mr Martin said to reporters on Monday he did not want to be “too judgmental” but added: “It was a vicious attack and incident from what I saw on video.

“We all have to examine, reflect and be honest about it: If we were in the same situation, I don’t think he would be a candidate.”

Asked if it called Mr Harris’s judgement into question, Mr Martin said he was “surprised” but added that it was ultimately a matter for Fine Gael and voters in Louth.

He said: “I certainly was surprised by the decision to double down on his candidature given what we now know.”

Mr Martin said strikes to the head, as depicted in the video, can lead to bad consequences and that it was fortunate Mr White’s injuries were not worse.

“The injuries were very severe, there is a victim here and he feels he hasn’t been listened to.”

Asked about Mr Harris previously depicting the incident as a scuffle, Mr Martin said: “It was anything but a scuffle – I presume the Taoiseach hadn’t seen the video – it was quite vicious.”

Minister for Children Mr O’Gorman said it was up to the voters in Louth to decide whether “the seriousness of this assault is disqualifying for Senator McGahon”.

“I think ultimately we leave these decisions to the voters in the areas,” he said.

“I think we should be very careful about, you know, cancelling who can rule and who can contest a general election. It’s an essential part of our democracy, but I’ve always relied on the Irish people to exercise their good judgment in terms of the candidates that they elect.”

Asked if he would be happy to work with Mr McGahon if there was another coalition with Fine Gael and the Greens, he said: “If Senator McGahon is elected by the people of Louth, I think ultimately that’s their decision.”

The issue has arisen in the second of the three-week general election campaign.

All parties bar Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have published their general election manifestos, making pledges on housing, childcare and on how to spend the 14 billion Apple tax money.

Ten party leaders are to take part in the first televised leaders’ debate of the election campaign on Monday evening.

RTE will host the debate from 9.35pm between Mr Harris, Mr Martin, Mr O’Gorman, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett, Independent Ireland’s Michael Collins, Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, and Joan Collins of Right to Change.

The Social Democrats’ deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan is to step in for leader Holly Cairns, who is due to give birth this week.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr Harris said: “There’s not nearly enough focus being paid in this election debate to the economy. I personally think there should be a debate scheduled on the economy.

“There’s lots of discussions about how to spend money, not nearly enough discussion in relation to the economy.”

Asked whether Fine Gael was trying to give out policies in their manifesto “for everyone in the audience”, Mr Harris said “not at all”.