Phil Healy, former Kerry county chairman

It’s a complete disgrace. This is what happens when control is so tightly held in the Farm Centre. We talk about a democratic association but this was rule from the top down. What happened is not good enough.

I’d love if IFA could get things back together but will anything except an election solve matters? No one can understand how the president and treasurer over two presidencies let this happen. They were irresponsible. The whole thing is a bit like the Catholic church – so many let down by so few. IFA’s great strength was its credibility and it’s hard to undo the damage. All of us who worked voluntarily feel as if people are wondering if we made a pile out of it.

IFA is badly needed and I hope things turn out well but now we need action that is both strong and ruthless.

Tom Loonam, former Offaly county chairman.

It’s a terrible, terrible thing. After all my years of backbreaking work, some people appear to be looking after themselves.

I can’t understand how it wasn’t faced up to before now. With all that has come out, it will be a hard climb back for IFA.

IFA has no choice but to get everything out on the table and be very clear as to what they are doing. Members need to know exactly what is happening. All the voluntary people who work so hard are very let down. We all feel tainted.

I believe at some stage it will take an election to clear the air. There needs to be a new mandate as it will take a lot to hold IFA together.

Raymond O’Malley, former national livestock chairman

I am completely and utterly disgusted by what has happened. There is a need for a radical clean-up of the association. I don’t know when the rot started, but it must have been in the last 10 years.

I challenged Michael Berkery as to what he was on and he told me it was the same salary as the secretary general of the Department of Agriculture. I thought it was generous but then it’s a responsible job.

As to what should happen next, I think IFA needs to clean out the top. Get rid of anyone who brought what is a great organisation into disrepute. We need people with guts and they are not there.

An election is needed and anyone who had sight of Con Lucey’s letters or were on the remuneration committee should have the decency to leave the field. IFA is damaged, but the damage is fixable. It has a good future because farmers need it.

Ruaidhri Deasy, former deputy president

I’m sick as a parrot about it all. Trust has gone out of the equation. It’s very serious and a lot of people who should have known better didn’t take action. Con Lucey’s letters were a red light warning. It’s good he is back but it is too late.

Farmers are telling me they want a clean sweep. There will have to be an election but I don’t want to see anyone coming to my door. Let the candidates put their case to the county executives.

The whole thing is a huge setback for IFA. We will have to earn trust and it’s a long, hard fight back. I think we will come through it but we badly need leadership. If Rickard was alive he’d go berserk. What happened is so far removed from the aspirations, principles and ideals he and others fought for.

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