IFA to pick president as fallout from payments controversy continues

After the most tumultuous week in its history, the Irish Farmers’ Association will next week begin the process of picking a new president, as the fallout from the controversy over payments continues.

Yesterday, the IFA reiterated its outright rejection of claims from its former secretary general, Pat Smith, that a severance deal agreed with him by ex-president Eddie Downey was binding, and that half of it — €1m — should be donated to charity.

In a statement issued on Thursday via his solicitors, Mr Smith said Mr Downey’s resignation following the revelation over the severance deal was “a huge loss” and said the “fair” severance deal represented approximately six weeks’ redundancy pay for each year worked for the IFA and fulfilled on legal commitments he and other staff have in relation to pension shortfalls following the closure of the defined benefit scheme.