A good time to take the reins as Co. Secretary with IFA turning over a new leaf

CLONBERNE farmer Micheál Haverty, doesn’t mind facing into a bit of work . . . and that’s just as well seeing as he has just taken over as County Galway IFA Secretary, a position that generally carries with it a four year term.

On top of all that, Micheál (40) is Chairman of the local Clonberne IFA branch and along with his wife Christina, he’s bringing up three young children: Ciara (10), Conor (8) and Lorcan (3).

For the past year, he served as Assistant Secretary to Kilkerrin’s Sean Moran, whose term expired at this year’s IFA AGM.

“I was Secretary of my own branch before taking over as Chairman so I know what’s involved with these things. The county job is a lot bigger but it’s a role that I’m looking forward to,” Micheál Haverty told the Farming Tribune.

While he’s as disappointed as anyone else at what went on ‘at the top’ in IFA over recent years, he feels that it’s probably not a bad time to be getting more involved.

“To be honest about it, what has happened at the top in the IFA will probably never happen again. I think that lessons have been learned and new structures will be put in place.

“I do have certain views on the Pat Smyth controversy. There probably aren’t too many employees across Ireland who wouldn’t accept a pay increase if offered to them – the problem lay with the people who allowed this to happen,” said Micheál Haverty.

At a more local level, the Clonberne suckler farmer is hoping that Galway IFA as a unit will be unified and strong going into the future.

“No group of people in a room are ever going to agree on everything. There will always be differences of opinion and that’s the way it should be.

“But at the end of the day we’re all farmers and we’re all supporting the one cause – to improve the lot of all farmers across the county. If we bear that in mind, then I think we’ll be ok here in Galway IFA over the coming years,” said Micheál Haverty.