IFA board criticism grows

Pressure is growing on senior members of the Irish Farmers Association executive board to step down after more local branches joined the call for resignations in the aftermath of the payments’ controversy within the organisation.

Five county executives have yet to meet to discuss the fallout from revelations over the pay to former IFA secretary general Pat Smith and his contested severance package, but even ahead of those meetings, more county branches had finalised resolutions calling for those still at the top of the organisation to step aside.

IFA president Eddie Downey stepped down last week after details of a severance deal with Mr Smith emerged, but 10 county executives have now called for more resignations. Most want the entire IFA executive board to resign, while Kerry has limited the request to deputy president Tim O’Leary and Galway and Mayo want recipients of letters written by the organisation’s former chief economist, Con Lucey, at the time of his resignation last year, to go.