We had to make some serious decisions, says IFA's interim president

The IFA's former chief economist Con Lucey is to conduct the review of remuneration and governance in the association.

IFA deputy president Tim O'Leary will act as president while the inquiry is carried out.

"We had to make some serious decisions here to get this off the agenda," he said.

"We're an organisation about protecting farmers, about working for farmers, we have a lot of issues on the ground from farmers and we're being distracted by this."

Acting President Tim O'Leary has insisted this morning that Mr Downey did not sign off on the General Secretary's pay and did not know how much it was worth.

Mr O'Leary said that the IFA has difficulties, but it is working them out.

"I will give a commitment when they are fixed everybody will understand exactly how this organisation is run, there will be no cover ups, there will be clear accountability on everything and we will move on," he said.

"We have farmers today with difficulties on the ground with their incomes, with payments, with trying to get animals slaughtered again in meat factories.

"This is what we should be doing and these are the things we need to be doing, and we have to get back to that business."

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said later that farmers have a right to know how their association subsciptions are being spent.

"What's needed now is firm action," he said.

"I think that farmers will demand to know everything in terms of full transparency, in terms of how money is spent, particularly around remuneration and wages for the professionals in the IFA who do do a very good job, I might add.

"But farmers want to know how their money, their subs are being spent."