New IFA president seeks more money for farmers

A Galway dairy farmer has won 50% of the votes in the Irish Farmers Association elections to become its new president.

Joe Healy, 49, has a considerable task at hand as the organisation seeks to win back the trust of farmers after it emerged last year that IFA general secretary Pat Smith had a two-year pay packet, including pension contributions, of nearly €1m and had secured a €2m severance package.

It was also revealed that IFA’s general secretaries were paid €200,000 a year.