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Updated at 10pm
THE LONG-AWAITED Con Lucey report on how the Irish Farmers Association manages its affairs landed today.
It follows weeks of controversy at the farming lobby group, which led to its General Secretary Pat Smith and then its President Eddie Downey stepping down in the wake of a pay scandal.
Lucey is a former chief economist at the IFA.
His report recommends an array of sweeping changes at the farming organisation – including the creation of a new post of ‘Secretary’ which should be separate to that of General Secretary or CEO.
Pay for top officials
The report reveals that Smith was paid almost €3.5 million in pay and pension contributions during his seven year tenure in charge of the organisation. It also details salary and other payment details of Downey and his predecessors as President, John Bryan and Padraig Walshe.
Here are Pat Smith’s pay details…
Lucey notes that the IFA relies on “a relatively small executive team of dedicated professional staff”. Salaries for executive staff are broadly in line with pay for top officials in the Civil Service, the economist finds.
My overall conclusion is that salary levels of IFA Executive Staff are broadly in line with those of the grades in the Civil Service (Assistant Principal, Principal Officer and Assistant Secretary) with whom they interact, when all relevant factors are taken into account. However, the spread between top and bottom is wider in IFA.
Lucey says that future pay determinations “should continue to be the responsibility of the General Secretary/Chief Executive, in consultation with the President and Deputy President. This is an essential requirement for IFA to retain and recruit staff”.
Ultimately, it is market forces that determine pay levels in the IFA. IFA has to be able to recruit the best available talent from the public or private sector. Any move away from this is likely to have a negative impact on the quality of staff and the motivation of staff.
Division of powers
Lucey says the General Secretary, who is already the CEO under the organisation’s rules, should in future be known as the Chief Executive.
“A new post of Secretary should be created, which would have a high degree of independence from the Chief Executive in defined areas dealing with governance and transparency, and would also take over some of the responsibilities the current post of Assistant General Secretary.
If this recommendation is accepted by the Executive Council, IFA should seek the services of an outside expert on organisational governance and transparency to provide advice on the detailed implementation of this approach.
The Secretary “would be autonomous from the Chief Executive as regards certain functions in the areas of governance and transparency”.
Financial accounts published
A full set of financial accounts should be placed before the organisation’s AGM each year, Lucey recommends.
The full set of Financial Accounts should be made available on the IFA website following approval, along with infographics setting out the key headline details to help in the understanding of the statements more completely.
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Glad to see the folks are back to work though.
“I can see Clearys now the rain has gone”
Great to see a Dublin landmark reopen well done clearys
There are some things that become landmarks in your life.
One of mine was a visit to Santa in Clerys back in the 1930s.
I got a blue telescope.
The only Santa’s grotto to visit in Dublin just remember the excitement of going and the sheer delight of the whole grotto it was truly magical and a day off school to boot and a trip on the number 3 from Whitehall had to be upstairs at the front thanks Santa
Nope, that would be Arnotts.
No charge, no rush, entertainment & refreshments all day long & Santa looks the same in every year’s photo (beard is real too)
Good to see.
ThE heart has been pulled out of the city centre the last decade with monuments to the social insecure like Dundrum S.C. being built.
Lets hope the american owners of clerys spend their remaining couple of years re buildimg the clerys experience before they inevitably cash in their inverstment?
Who will be running clerys by 2016?
Paddy McKillen? John Lewis? House of Frasier?
John Lewis bought a large site on the other side of the street.
Who cares?
Boo!
You obviously cared enough to comment.
Happy red thumb day to you, sir!
The people who work there do. The people who like to shop there do.
The people who work there for a start.
Lovely to see Cleary’s back, O’Connell Street was just not the same without it. Best wishes to all involved especially the wonderfull staff, you were missed. Looking forward to dropping in later.
*GASP*! They’re named like my name!
Hurrah!
They might be able to pay back some of their creditors then?
They’re on the wrong side of the street in fairness. That side of O’Connell street is mainly full of druggies hanging around these days.
I have heard the whole of OConnell street is a no go area now with druggies and beggers. No law or order on the streets and getting very dangerous day and night on our capital’s main street
To a non-Dub who’s never set foot in the place, what exactly is the main draw of Cleary’s? One of those places I’ve heard about but don’t know about.
Would you believe I’m the same? Not a clue!
You mean you never saw Clearys christmas window?
Half of Dublin must have visited Santa in Cleary’s. I remember the excitement standing in line to meet the main man. Then there’s Cleary’s clock, the place to meet your date. I arranged to meet a cousin there one time… she was late, so I had to put up with lads wandering past, chanting “Stood up, stood up!” I was a divil for the Cleary’s sales in me day, now I’m poor and shop in Pennys. But it’s good to see it up and running again.
It’s CLERYS not Clearys
My mom went shopping for Christmas every year on December 8th in Cleary,s went on the train from Wexford.we had many toys and PJ,s from that lovely Store. Also had many a date there.
Clerys was designed in 1918 following destruction in 1916 – not 1853. That was the original Delany’s New Mart ‘Monster Store’.
have your say