IFA chief steps back for payments review
Economist to report on ‘inadequate structures’
I FA president Eddie Downey has ‘stepped back’ from his role, after an arduous meeting of the executive board ended last night.
Pressure had been mounting on the farm chief in the fallout from revelations that former secretary general Pat Smith was on a remuneration package worth almost €1milllion for two years.
Mr Smith stepped down on Thursday after it emerged he had earned a total of €535,000 in 2013 and €445,000 last year.
And Mr Downey had been criticised for not doing more to stop the excessive payouts during his term as president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, which began last year; or his previous fouryear term as vice-president.
Yesterday, Mr Downey said he was stepping back to allow a review of remuneration at the association, being conducted by Con Lucey, a former chief economist at the organisation. Mr Lucey has been asked to report to the IFA’s executive council on the best way to implement a remuneration policy and to make any other recommendations on corporate governance or other areas he considers relevant.
Mr Downey said he was stepping back to give Mr Lucey and the association the time and space to thoroughly review the situation. He said: ‘Mistakes have been made and I want to apologise for that. Steps have been taken to ensure that past mistakes are never repeated.’
He will be replaced by the deputy president Tim O’Leary, who quickly tried to ease farmers’ worries over payments in the IFA by issuing a statement saying: ‘For my role as deputy president of the IFA, I am paid €35,000.’ He added: ‘ The IFA president is paid €147,000 a year. These figures are under review.
‘The remuneration package of any future IFA general secretary will be disclosed and will be a matter of public record in the annual accounts.’
He also said: ‘Con Lucey will carry out a comprehensive review to address any inadequacies in our structures, and will come back to the executive council with recommendations. There will be full transparency and accountability from now on.’
After yesterday’s meeting Mr O’Leary told RTÉ news: ‘It has been a long and arduous day but we have reached a decision where we can work to a proper resolution.’ He said that he was confident the outcome of the meeting would reassure farmers who have voiced their anger at the high salaries disclosed in the past week.
‘I think Con is a man of the highest integrity, everyone has the greatest respect for Con Lucey,’ he said. ‘He has worked for the IFA for a generation or more and we are very confident that he will do what’s needed to be done.’