IFA council approves review of structures and pay levels

The decision was made at an emergency meeting today, which was called after revelations over the scale of pay-outs to top IFA officials.

More than 50 delegates from across the country agreed to allow the powerful lobby group's ex-chief economist Con Lucey (pictured) to conduct and conclude the detailed examination by Tuesday, December 15.

Under plans signed off on by the IFA representatives - who will spend this evening discussing whether its president Eddie Downey and entire executive board should resign over the salaries and pensions scandal - Mr Lucey will have full authority to investigate all aspects of top level pay.

This includes:

• "All aspects of the remuneration package" of ex-general secretary Pat Smith, who was on a €535,000 a year salary and €2m pension, "from his appointment in 2009 until he resigned in 2015";
• "All aspects" of packages given to current president Eddie Downey, who stepped aside due to the controversy on Monday evening while a review takes place and was earning €147,000 a year, and deputy president Tim O Leary, who is filling Mr Downey's role temporarily;
• A full review of the expenses given to voluntary officers in the IFA;
• A full review of executive staff salaries.

Mr Lucey has been given full authority to make recommendations based on his findings, with the IFA confirming it will make "all its financial information available" to the investigation.

While the pay and pensions issues relating to Mr Smith and Mr Downey were known before today, it is expected that Mr Lucey's examination will be focussed on how the remuneration was allowed, whether further controversies also occurred, and if they are linked solely to those individuals or involve their predecessors as well.

It is also noteworthy that the statement confirming the plan has for the first time included issues surrounding expenses for voluntary officers and a full review of executive staff salaries, potentially opening up a fresh scandal for the crisis-hit IFA.

In a statement confirming the news, Mr Lucey said "a voluntary representative organisation such as IFA needs to be above suspicion in everything it does" and that the review is needed "to both maintain the trust of the members and maintain the IFA's good image in the media and wider society".

Members with relevant information have been asked to contact Mr Lucey on conluceyreview@ifa.ie by Monday December 7.

The board

Meanwhile, the IFA emergency meeting at the Irish Farm Centre in Bluebell, Dublin City, will spend its afternoon session discussing whether Mr Downey and its entire executive board should resign over the scandal.

It is understood the lobby group's West Cork branch is seeking a complete culling of top level officials in the organisation, while the Mayo and Galway branches believe only those members who were aware of Mr Lucey's concerns over finances last year - which were ignored - should step down.

The meeting is expected to conclude this evening, with members accepting there is a need for a clear position to be taken by the IFA on how to address the crisis in order to quell a public and membership backlash over what has happened.

The IFA has in recent days been rocked by revelations over multi-million euro pensions, six-figure salaries, Audi company cars and other fees to top officials at a time when ordinary farmers say they are taking in just €10,000 after unavoidable expenses.