Is the Larry Goodman move on levies a wake-up call that the pace of change has not been fast enough in the IFA? Should farmers not be entitled to state positively that they want to contribute to IFA, which is all an opt-in levy requires?

John Coughlan (Munster chair):

I think it shows the true colours of the Goodman group – they don’t want anyone challenging them. It is a direct response the IFA challenging the Slaney deal.

Padraic Joyce (Connacht chair):

No I wouldn’t say it is. It’s a decision the board made that Goodman can’t dictate to us. We feel that it’s about Slaney. He wants IFA out of this space so he can control the beef kill. Farmers will have the option of contributing to the IFA differently in the future. Goodman wants to dictate the pace.

Bert Stewart (Ulster/north Leinster chair):

No, I think it is a reaction to the IFA’s Slaney objection. We are doing a review of the levies at the moment and we’ll have to wait and see what comes out of that. Nothing has been finalised. It will be come to us as a full package from the Con Lucey review committee. Farmers have to decide if they want a well-funded organisation or a watered down one.

James Murphy (South Leinster chair):

No, it’s Larry Goodman trying to bully us over our stance on Slaney. It shows that the levy does not prevent the IFA from strong action on farmers’ behalf. I’m not sure that we can fast-track the pace of change. The levy is voluntary – everyone has the option to pay or not to pay them.

Is the levy system acceptable? Is there enough governance around the collection of levies? Is it acceptable that the system is based on trust when farmers don’t trust those collecting the levy?

John Coughlan

We have no issue in how the levies are collected. Farmers know they need a strong IFA. The industry as a whole needs the IFA as much as anything else. We’ve seen that in Europe.

Padraic Joyce

It’s something that needs to be reviewed in the next few months. It’s a method of funding the IFA. The IFA has to be funded and it can’t be run on membership.

Bert Stewart

This is something the Lucey group is looking at. Goodman has refused to collect it in the current system that was there. Coincidentally that happened just days after the IFA lodged its report with the Commission. There are issues [with the levies] and they need to be dealt with as part of the overall package.

James Murphy

There is a concern over governance of levy collection. It has been expressed at board and executive council level. We can’t go back to members looking for continued or renewed support for levies until we have watertight transparency. There needs to be an independent audit.

Is the internal review dynamic enough? We are nine months on since the events of last November – what evidence of a change in attitude can be pointed to?

John Coughlan

I think it is, the process has been set out and it will be finished by the end of the year. It is being done at a pace where it’s being done properly. There’s no point in rushing it.

Padraic Joyce

We’re in the process of recruiting the general secretary. We have one chance and it has to be gotten right. We’re moving as fast as humanly possible.

Bert Stewart

The [Con Lucey review] group had to be set up firstly and we had to get independent legal advice on a few things. We need to get it right.

James Murphy

The members have demanded a root-and-branch review, we have a fantastic implementation committee and chair. I believe the wait will be worth it in the end.

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