IFA elections give farmers their wish

THE move by the IFA to hold elections for all senior positions is a positive move for the organisation, according to Richard Connell, West Cork IFA chairman. 

The board earlier this week cleared the way for full elections in April following recent salary controversies, as well as facing mounting pressure from a number of county boards who passed motions calling for the entire board to go.

‘I feel that this is what West Cork members of the IFA wanted and I welcome the opportunity that they can now have their say in who runs the organisation,’ said Richard Connell speaking to The Southern Star.

‘I hope that the organisation will now be able to build itself from there with a complete new executive in place.’

At a county meeting last weekend, which was attended by Munster chairman, James McCarthy, members had again demanded that they have new elections for all senior positions. ‘These positions will be for a two-year term going forward and rule changes are taking place to provide for this, which will happen on February 5th. Nominations will close shortly afterwards and it is expected then that candidates will be coming to the executives around the country between February and March,’ added Mr Connell.

So far there have been three nominations for the presidency and they include Flor McCarthy from Kerry, Henry Byrnes from Laois and Joe Healy from Galway. It was expected that outgoing deputy president, Tim O’Leary from Carrigrohane, Cork,would also secure a nomination, but he failed to do so.

The executive board is currently made up of four regional chairman ¬– Munster regional chair James McCarthy, Ulster-North Leinster chair Bert Stewart, Connaught chair Tom Turley and South Leinster chair James Murphy, along with deputy president Tim O’Leary and acting chairman and treasurer Jer Bergin.