The IFA is considering a structural shakeup, with national council delegating certain tasks to the national officers committee (NOC).

The IFA council on Tuesday heard presentations from Paul White from Governance Ireland,and James Staines of Staines Law, who is the association’s legal adviser.

Four broad options were presented:

  • Leave things as they are.
  • The national council could delegate certain tasks to the current NOC. This group currently comprises the president, deputy president, the treasurer/returning officer and the four regional chairs. Governance and compliance issues, which require an increasing amount of the national council’s time, are likely to be among the delegated functions.
  • Extend the NOC to equip it to manage functions delegated to it by the national council. This would see the current seven-strong NOC expanded. Extra people could be co-opted from within the association, or externally.
  • The NOC would evolve into a board of directors. This would deliver a clear demarcation between the volunteer members of the ruling body, the national council, and those within the organisation tasked with governance issues.

    • Comparisons were drawn between the IFA’s structure and that of the GAA.

    Ruling body

    It’s understood that it was stressed at all times that the national council would in every scenario continue to be the ruling body of the IFA. Council would be delegating specific tasks to others with no loss of authority.

    The county and committee chairs who comprise the national council will take some time to consider the options outlined to them, and presumably discuss them at county executives around the country.

    No formal proposals have been drafted, and no timetable for the next step is currently in place.