IFA salaries mess is akin to cattle trampling over the silage pit

Plenty of analogies present themselves when discussing the current mess at the IFA, but maybe an appropriate one is the farmer returning home from a Sunday drive and being confronted with the sight of his cattle trampling all over the silage pit, writes Noel Baker.

The mire at the IFA Farm Centre is no laughing matter for those involved, and while the organisation has experienced crises before, never has it had a situation in which, within a week, its two top posts effectively lie vacant.

IFA president Eddie Downey said on Monday that he would be “stepping back” from his role until an internal review is concluded — a review sparked by the revelations over the pay packet that had been afforded to the former general secretary, Pat Smith.