IFA not considering Deane's failed presidential bid

There is still no sign of the emergency executive council meeting requested by Carlow IFA county chair Derek Deane to discuss his failed presidential bid.

Amy Nora Fitzgibbon

20 January 2016

IFA not considering Deane's failed presidential bid

Derek Deane.

One day following the close of nominations for the new IFA president, hopeful candidate Derek Deane, who failed to receive the required number of nominations before the deadline, announced he would be appealing his case to the organisation.Deane's appeal hinged on the assertion of a "technological failure" involving an email sent by Monaghan county chair Brian Treanor. Treanor tried to send an email to the Irish Farm Centre a few minutes before the 5.30pm deadline, with an attachment nominating Deane on the condition that the other hopeful left looking for a final nomination, outgoing deputy president Tim O'Leary, was out of the race.

Deane's appeal hinged on the assertion of a "technological failure" involving an email sent by Monaghan county chair Brian Treanor. Treanor tried to send an email to the Irish Farm Centre a few minutes before the 5.30pm deadline, with an attachment nominating Deane on the condition that the other hopeful left looking for a final nomination, outgoing deputy president Tim O'Leary, was out of the race.

However, no email arrived at the Farm Centre before 5.30pm and O'Leary claims he never pulled out of the race, meaning Treanor's nomination for Deane made no difference to the outcome.

I stand by the statement issued by the IFA on the evening of the deadline. There are only three candidates in the running for IFA president

In the end, three candidates were nominated to contest the presidency: Henry Burns (Laois), Flor McCarthy (Kerry) and Joe Healy (Galway).

In the latest development on this story, Jer Bergin, national returning officer with responsibility for deciding the eligibility of presidential candidates, told the Irish Farmers Journal that he stands by the statement issued by the IFA after the close of the deadline.

"I stand by the statement issued by the IFA on the evening of the deadline," he said. "There are only three candidates in the running for IFA president."

The Irish Farmers Journal also contacted Derek Deane but he did not comment on Bergin's statement.

Next executive council meeting

The IFA's next executive council meeting is due to be held on 2 February 2016. This meeting will decide whether the organisation is happy to adopt rule changes proposed at the most recent council meeting in January. These changes would see a new president elected in April and each remaining member of the IFA executive board step aside and stand for re-election. The board currently comprises acting general secretary Bryan Barry, returning officer and treasurer Jer Bergin, deputy president Tim O'Leary, and the four regional chairs: James McCarthy, James Murphy, Bert Stewart and Tom Turley.