IFA regional chairman for Ulster/north Leinster, Bert Stewart, has said the salary of former IFA president Eddie Downey came as a shock to him. Stewart said he learned of Downey's €147,000/annum salary six months ago.

"I was always of the opinion that the position of president (with the IFA) was a voluntary one, that there was no salary as such. It was about six months ago that I learned that the president was taking a salary and it came as news to me," Stewart said.

Stewart added that he learned that deputy president Tim O'Leary was earning a salary "a few weeks ago".

Expenses

Stewart, who also serves as IFA's Animal Health chairman, said his expenses range between €3,000 and €5,000 per annum. This is made up of an average mileages rate of 50c per mile, €100 for every 10 hours spent away from his own farm to pay for someone to cover his duties and €50 for food if he is away longer than 12 hours from his farm.

Stewart was addressing an emergency meeting of Donegal IFA on Saturday night where a motion of no confidence in the executive board of the IFA. Stewart sits on the executive board.

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