At the meeting in Mullingar, Westmeath, IFA Councy Chairman Kenneth Bray asked the two candidates about how the organisation could get more women and young people involved. "James said he was going to crack a joke," according to Mr Bray, and the joke was that 'women's feet are smaller, so they can get closer to the kitchen sink', but it did not go down well with the room. "He also said that women do a lot of work behind the scenes on farms, including mountains of paperwork and raising families, but the remark went down like a lead balloon. "Neither candidate came up with ideas on how to get more women or young people into the organisation," the County Chairman said and that the mood in the room after the debate was not appreciative of the remark.