IFA to elect new president

Farmers across the country will begin casting their votes today to elect a new president of the main industry lobby group.

Three people are vying to take over from outgoing President John Dillon as the head of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).

The candidates for the high-profile role at the head of the 85,000-strong lobby group include Ruaidhrí Deasy, Raymond O’Malley and Padraig Walshe.

Mr Dillon is stepping down at the end of his four-year term next January. The new president, who will be the 12th in the IFA’s history, is to take over the office at the Annual General Meeting on January 17, 2006.

One of the candidates, Mr Deasy, from north Tipperary, is the current deputy president of the association.

Mr O’Malley, who is from Co Louth, is te IFA’s Ulster/North Leinster vice-president. Mr Walshe is from Co Laois and is the national treasurer of the association and former president of Macra na Feirme.

The national count to elect the next president will be held in Citywest Hotel in Dublin, with a kick-off time of 8.30am.

Voting in the IFA presidential election finished last Friday, when all 946 branches in the 29 IFA county executives had cast their ballots.

A new voting system operated in this election, with weighted branch voting giving extra votes to those branches with high turnouts.

IFA National Returning Officer Seamus O’Brien said: “IFA members responded to the new voting system with enthusiasm and there are reports of high turnouts all over the country.”