IFA to have new president by end of April

The Irish Farmers Association has revealed that elections for its new President will take place at the end of April.

The IFA's Executive Council is to assume the collective leadership of the IFA until the election of the new President.

It comes after IFA president Eddie Downey resigned during a crisis meeting in November in the wake of the ongoing crisis over senior pay packages at the IFA.

The deadline for nominations for President is 5.30pm today.

An IFA statement also said that all County Executives AGMs and County Officer elections will also be completed by March 31.

Their statement said: "The meeting re-affirmed that the Executive Council is the Governing Body of the Association and will be the collective leadership of the IFA until the election of the new President in April. It was agreed that the Executive Council will meet and lead the Association between now and the elections, as necessary.

"The Council decided to give all members and County Executives the opportunity to decide the future leadership of the IFA through the democratic election process.

"The Executive Council agreed in principle that the existing rules would be changed so that all top IFA positions – President, Deputy President, the four Regional Chairmen and the National Treasurer/Returning Officer – would be on the basis of two (2) two-year terms of office."