‘Passionate about agriculture, farm politics and betterment of Irish farmers'

Joe Healy is well known to farmers – but not just for his involvement in the IFA. His profile is high because of his roles elsewhere. These include chair of the commonage appeals committee, farm journalist, former Macra president, board member on the milk quota tribunal, Farmer Business Developments and the Western Commission – among others. He has a lot of outside experience.

Home is Greethill, outside Athenry in Co Galway, where Joe runs a dairy farm milking up to 90 cows, with plans to expand. He carries the offspring to 18 months and sells as stores. He and wife Margaret have three young children: Nicole, Kiara and Anna. Joe has a lifetime association with sheep and shearing but is concentrating on milk now.

Do farmers need a farm union, I asked Joe, when we sat down to talk. “Yes. It’s a highly regulated business, controlled at EU and even global level. Farmers need an organisation to represent their views and defend their interests and incomes. There are many threats ahead – TTIP and the Mercosur trade talks.”

Has IFA been successful over its 60 years? It gained recognition for farmers, he replies. There’s a general election coming and farming and agriculture is a central issue in that. That’s thanks to the IFA. It grew services to members. It opened its office in Brussels to represent their interests at the place where the major decisions are made. That demonstrated forward thinking and it has been crucial in getting the best possible deals for Irish farmers. The positive work of the IFA has been felt in every townland and parish of the country.

So then what does he think of the events that triggered this election? “It’s been disappointing. The pay of the former general secretary was too high, from a farmer’s point of view. And when an individual is brought in on a good salary to do a good job then I don’t agree with bonuses. I do accept that it’s a job that involves 24/7 commitment with many different strands to it.

“Farmers feel let down by the organisation they’ve been loyal to and believed in. But this has been building for a while and the facts had to come out. And while farmers have been disappointed, it’s clear they realise that they need a strong organisation to negotiate on their behalf.”

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Healy said that as president he would disclose to members the pay of the next general secretary and likewise all payments he would receive as president. For himself, he wants only vouched expenses and that his farm be run on his behalf to its current standard. That would require a farm manager to be put in place, plus extra part-time labour and/or use of agri-contractors, as necessary.

Healy sees lots of merit in the Lucey recommendations. He said the president should not be on the remuneration committee setting payments for him or herself, and for the general secretary – “It should be one of the regional chairpersons or a similar farmer officer.”

He wants transparency. “The recommendation that IFA’s accounts be shown to the executive board quarterly and to the executive council every half-year is good. Anything talked about at executive council is then reported back to the county executives.

“As a member, I’m paying money in to run IFA. My payment is a tiny percentage, like with everyone else, but we have a right to know.” The idea of an outside expert to advise on the general secretary’s salary was another point he saw merit in.

He wants more decision-making powers returned to commodity committees. “They’re experts in their areas but their recommendations have to go back to executive council, who are not necessarily all experts in the issue being put forward by a particular committee.

“A return of a national management committee comprising of the executive board as we know it and the commodity chairs would also be worth examining.”

And then there’s levies. “They are a serious, serious issue and not just in this campaign. As long as I’ve been involved in IFA, they have been an issue, especially the factory levy. I’m not foolish enough to think that we don’t need money. I’d love to get rid of levies but the organisation has to be funded. But it’s now time to look at what is the best possible way to raise an adequate amount of money to run the organisation. Members feel there is no transparency in the collection process. There is a perception that having levies collected by processors compromises IFA, especially in dealing with the factories. It’s the most contentious issue in the organisation for many years. I want to review it in a serious way.”

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So, has Joe Healy enough experience to be president of the IFA and why should members vote for him? “I have experience at many different levels. I’m farming for the last 40 years, for 30 years in my own right. I’ve farmed in sheep, sucklers, dairy farming and a bit of tillage. I’ve been in a wide variety of leadership roles since the early 1990s.”

These roles – the main ones are outlined at the top of this article – saw him negotiate with ministers on programmes for government. With CEJA he led negotiations with the European Commission and Parliament. More locally, he was chairman and then manager of Athenry Mart.

“For the last three years I’ve been on the IFA farm business committee and we have been successful in that period, achieving significant new measures for farmers in the most recent two budgets on land leasing and taxation measures. My leadership abilities were recognised by the minister and the Department when they asked me to chair the commonage appeals committee.

“I’m a fresh face, not involved in the upper levels of IFA. I’m a full-time farmer in milk and forward store cattle with a broad range of experience. I’m very approachable, I’m passionate about agriculture, farm politics and the betterment of Irish farmers.”

If Joe is elected president of IFA, certain personal and family decisions would have to be made – and they would see family income fall. But he does not expect IFA to make up the shortfall. “That is a personal choice.”

When the hustings start he will be asked hard questions. Like: Is he a full-time farmer? Is he an FBD insider, close to former IFA president Padraig Walshe? “I am a full-time farmer. What constitutes a full time farmer today – how many hours per week? This farm is operating to its maximum and is a single labour unit operation. I do the work: milking, feeding, slurry, fertiliser, grass measurement. But I also enjoy dealing with the agricultural issues that I am involved with.”

He says: “I’m one of six farmer shareholders representatives on Farmer Business Developments. I represent farmer shareholders to the best of my ability. I get a director’s fee of €3,579 per year – after tax.”

“I was nominated by Paddy Fitzpatrick of Athenry. My relationship with Padraig Walshe is professional, the same as my relationship with Tom Doyle, chair of the IFA farm business committee or Denis Lucey, who was chair of the milk quota tribunal.”

Joe Healy

Age: 48

Home farm: Greethill, Athenry, Co Galway – just off the motorway.

Farms: 150 acres.

System: Up to 90 dairy cows with progeny sold in Athenry mart as forward stores. Supplying Arrabawn.

Family: Married to Margaret. They have three children: Nicole, Kiara and Anna.

Past: Former Macra president; chair, then manager of Athenry Mart; on milk quota tribunal, Western Commission. Currently chair of commonage appeals committee and on IFA’s farm business committee.

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