The minor match is getting all the attention at IFA hustings so far, with deputy candidates Brian Rushe and Thomas Cooney fielding the tougher questions and performing well.

Dairy bull calves, suckler reduction schemes and the environment were all thrown at the two at hustings this week. The senior teams of Tim Cullinan, John Coughlan and Angus Woods were tackled on BEAM, Brexit, dairy expansion and recent protests. By no means easier questions, but not as controversial.

Despite Cullinan trying to light a bonfire under both Woods and Coughlan on alleged inaction within the IFA (Cullinan said Coughlan sat on the fence while the big decisions were being made), neither Woods nor Coughlan responded to the fire. This week’s meetings were expected to be fiery, or at least somewhat rowdy, given a weekend outburst by Cullinan towards Woods. To my disappointment, however, the hustings failed to ignite in either Galway or Mayo.

It was noted that Cullinan appears to agree with everybody, responding to farmer questions in Galway with either “you’re right” or “you’re absolutely right”.

Pay

One issue that piqued my interest was the issue of the IFA director general Damien McDonald’s pay which was raised with the presidential candidates. McDonald’s salary, which was agreed with the remuneration committee, is €185,350. He has a pension contribution of 15% and a company car.

Coughlan said he thinks it is a respectable salary and that the director general should be out on the ground with farmers. “I proposed that as the IFA president I will have the staff and some voluntary officers out meeting farmers on the ground.”

Woods said that the IFA needs to ensure “we have top-quality people. It’s about getting value for money out of our staff and having top-quality staff there”.

Cullinan’s answer was more pointed. He said that he measures people on results, adding that looking at “what has gone on the last while, I do have to question the results”. It will be interesting to see how the remaining meetings pan out.

Interestingly, the Castlebar IFA hustings clashed with a beef farmer meeting hosted by Peadar Tóibín’s Aontú party under the same roof. Tóibín’s meeting had a respectable crowd – about 45 to the IFA’s 85.