IFA puts chairman in place until elections

The Irish Farmers’ Association has put a national chairman in place until elections are held for a new president.

It follows the resignation of president Eddie Downey amid a pay scandal.

A report into pay and pensions released this week found that former general secretary Pat Smith — who was also forced to step down after details of his salary were released — earned €3.4m over seven years.

He also received €1.2m —or more than a quarter — of a €4.6m pension pot shared between 35 people in the organisation.

Former IFA presidents all received six-figure payments since 2009 and were given a golden handshake of the equivalent of a year’s salary when standing down, the report compiled by former IFA chief economist Con Lucey revealed.

At a meeting to discuss the report, which ran into the early hours of yesterday morning, delegates decided to elect IFA national treasurer Jer Bergin as national chairman.

He will now lead the association, carrying out all the functions of president, until the election of a new president is completed. The date for an election is due to be set at the next meeting on January 5.

Yesterday, Mr Bergin began his new role by representing the IFA at a round table meeting of the Beef Forum which is chaired by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Mr Bergin was the elected unanimously at the IFA executive council meeting after the acting president Tim O’Leary stepped down because he wishes to run in the upcoming presidential elections.

The executive council also welcomed in principle the review carried out by its Mr Lucey, describing it as “an important blueprint for the future of the IFA”.

The report found that in recent years former presidents were paid six-figure sums, with Padraig Walshe receiving €182,250 — including a €6,250 car equivalent — in 2009.

But Mr Lucey found that “ultimately, it is market forces” that will determine the amount paid to top staff.

He added: “My overall conclusion is that salary levels of IFA executive staff are broadly in line with those of the grades in the civil service. However, the spread between top and bottom is wider in IFA.”

Recommendations in the report included the scrapping of the dual role of general secretary and chief executive — which Mr Smith held before his resignation.