A revamp of the Irish Farmers' Association's (IFA) communication strategy was promised at the association's hustings in Mayo on Tuesday night.

Both presidential candidates - Francie Gorman from Laois and Limerick’s Martin Stapleton - accepted that the manner in which the IFA communicated its message needed to be addressed.

This followed sustained criticism of the organisation’s performance in communicating farmers’ concerns regarding climate change and water quality from the floor of the meeting.

Farmers were continually being portrayed in a negative light in relation to the climate change debate, speakers from the floor claimed, and they challenged the candidates to set out how they would address the issue.

Key function

“We need to look seriously at how we are going to communicate both to our members and outside the organisation,” Gorman said.

However, while he accepted that there was a role for the IFA’s staff in communicating policy, Gorman maintained that this task should remain a key function of the association’s president.

“I still do believe that a central part of that [communication] role should involve the president and the elected officers,” Gorman said.

In contrast, Stapleton indicated that staff would play a more prominent role in the IFA’s overall communication strategy if he was elected.

'Front and centre'

“I think the single biggest change that I would make as president is that our professional staff in the [Irish] Farm Centre - just as Áine O’Connell did on Prime Time three weeks ago - need to be front and centre in defending our farmers and what we do,” the Limerick candidate said.

Meanwhile, childcare was a surprise cause of discord at the IFA presidential hustings in Castlebar.

Gorman accused his rival of “archaic thinking” on childcare, after Stapleton said that the minding of children was the responsibility of parents when asked about the matter at the Clare hustings.

Gorman claimed the IFA needed to “broaden its remit” and campaign on issues such as the provision of rural childcare services if it is to succeed in attracting more young women and men into the organisation.

However, Stapleton stood over his comments in Clare.

'Bogged down'

“I fully believe that childcare is the responsibility of both parents,” Stapleton said.

“Childcare is the same for farmers as it is for every other member of the community. We don’t want to get bogged down here that we’re different.

“We all have the same responsibilities around childcare. And it is a community problem. It is not something that should be coming in here, other than saying that we need to play our part in rural communities to ensure that childcare is available,” Stapleton said.

Along with the organisation’s communication strategy, the three main issues of discussion were the IFA finances, the derogation and suckler supports. A report on these matters will be carried in this week’s edition of the Irish Farmers Journal.