A FINE GAEL minister has said the party will “consider” the future of its senator John McGahon once his High Court case over a late night assault outside a Dundalk pub concludes next week.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan said McGahon had “accepted his responsibility” for what happened but that the party will review the “matter in full” once the case has ended.

Yesterday, a jury ordered McGahon to pay a man €39,000 over the incident in Co Louth on 16 June 2018.

McGahon had been sued by Castleblaney farmer Breen White for assault and battery.

According to the Irish Times, the jury found White had been assaulted and awarded €60,000, including €10,000 for aggravated damages. It apportioned blame at 65 per cent against McGahon and the other 35 per cent against the farmer.

McGahon (33) denied the allegations and said he was assaulted and acted in self defence.

In 2020, two years after the incident, McGahon was elected to the Seanad to serve on the Cultural and Educational Panel.

He was later cleared of a charge of assault causing harm in 2022 following a four day criminal trial at Dundalk Circuit Court over the incident.

Speaking this evening, O’Donovan said the party needed to wait until the case is finalised next week when legal costs are decided by the court.

When asked on RTÉ Radio One’s Drivetime whether it was appropriate if McGahon continued in his current role, O’Donovan said that McGahon had “expressed his regret” for what’s happened.

“He has said that publicly and I think once the court proceedings are finished we’ll be in a position to have clear lines in regards to it,” the Limerick TD said.

“But he has accepted his responsibility here, he has accepted that it was wrong. Once the court proceedings are finished the party will consider the matter in full after that.”