There should be no more ‘behind the scenes’ decision making in IFA, the Con Lucey Report has recommended.

The report has also criticised the IFA Executive Board and the Executive Council structures within IFA.

Lucey, in his report, says that the President and General Secretary did not give the Executive Board the respect it should have.

Lucey said that while the title Executive Board suggest significant authority and real power which is not in fact the case.

He also said that the General Secretary and President seemed to approach the Executive Board meetings with their “minds made up” and did not use the Executive Board meetings as a source of advice and assistance.

As regards the Executive council, Lucey said that many members tended to take a “somewhat passive” role in discussions, or tended to “support the President and General Secretary out of a sense of loyalty”.

Lucey pointed to the Derek Deane letter of November 4 which, he said, received little consideration by members of the Executive Council who were privy to the letter.

Recommendations

Con Lucey is recommending that the Executive Board needs to be reviewed to better reflect its status in the IFA rules.

He suggests that the effectiveness of the Board is very dependent on the willingness of the President to accept that it is an integral element of the IFA representative structure, whose advice and assistance should be sought and valued by the President.

IFA National Committees

The National Committees must be restored as the key structure in the Association for developing an pursuing ongoing policy initiatives, according to Lucey. The National Committees should be there for policy proposals to be transmitted from members/branches/county executives.

Lucey also recommends that ‘behind the scenes’ decisions should be avoided and the National Executive Committee – which was removed under the Dowling Report – should be re-established. This, he said, would consist of members of the Executive Board and the Chairmen of the National Committees, which he said would be a very useful forum for the co-ordination of national policy.

County Representation

Lucey’s report also states that since the position of County Chairman and County Representative were merged under the Dowling Report, may have resulted in a deterioration in the operation of Co Executive meetings.