THE Cork man overseeing operations at the Irish Farmers’ Association will rebuild the trust of members after salary controversies.
IFA deputy president, Tim O’Leary, from Carrigrohane, will fulfil the duties of president, after Eddie Downey stepped aside in the wake of revelations about committee-member pay rates.
Leaders of the farm body were flooded with angry calls from members threatening to withdraw, after it emerged that former general secretary, Pat Smith, had received pay of almost €1m in two years.
IFA Deputy President Tim O’Leary alongside Acting General Secretary Bryan Barry.
Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke
Mr Downey received €147,000 a year as president, while Mr O’Leary received €35,000 a year as deputy. The organisation has asked its former chief economist, Con Lucey, to review and implement recommendations on pay and transparency. Mr Lucey first raised concerns about accountability in 2014. Mr O’Leary said the controversy was “indefensible” and said he was shocked when he discovered the salaries.
He said: “We found it unacceptable ourselves. I can absolutely understand the anger of our members.”
Mr O’Leary apologised to members of the IFA who have been rendered furious by the revelation, and he indicated that the organisation’s structure would be reviewed and mistakes rectified.
“I apologise for the mistakes we made in that area. We are now going to review everything again; we are going to look at these payments through the remuneration committee,” he said.
Mr O’Leary made a firm commitment to the members of the IFA that they will be accountable for future actions.
Mr O’Leary said: “I cannot take responsibility for the decisions of others in the past, but what I can do is make a commitment, on behalf of myself and the executive board and council of the Irish Farmers’ Association, that we will have transparency and accountability going forward, into the future. We will do everything by the book. As everything needs to be done, we will do it.”