Institution of Engineers of Ireland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Institution of Engineers of Ireland Cumann na nInnealtóirí

Type	engineering society and professional body
Founded	1835 as the Civil Engineers Society of Ireland
Origins	By amalgamation of Cumann na nInnealtóirí into the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland
Area served	Ireland (primarily)
Focus	"The Institution promotes the art and science of engineering and the interests of that profession in all its specialist disciplines."
Members	22,784 (at 31 Dec 2006)
Website	http://www.iei.ie

The Institution of Engineers of Ireland (Irish: Cumann na nInnealtóirí) or the IEI, is the second oldest engineering society in the British Isles, and was established in 1835, the institution primarily represents members based in Ireland.

Membership of the institution is open to individuals based on academic and professional background and is separated into grades in accordance with criteria, including the Chartered Engineer and European Engineer titles.

The institution accepted its current legal name in 1969 by an Act of the Oireachtas. In October 2005 the institution adopted the operating name Engineers Ireland in an attempt to reduce any confusion over what the abbreviation IEI means, and as a substitute for its current legal name which is often considered unwieldy; the legal name is, however, unchanged.

1 History
2 Mission
3 Sectors
4 International
5 Footnote
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History

1999: former logo incorporated phi, the 21st Greek alphabet letter.

The history of the institution can be traced to August 6, 1835 when civil engineers met in Dublin; the result was the Civil Engineers Society of Ireland, in 1844 the society adopted the name the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (ICEI). The institution received a Royal Charter on October 15, 1877, this been a significant milestone in obtaining international recognition and standing. In the early years of the Irish Free State Cumann na nInnealtóirí (The Engineers Association) was set up independently, in 1928, by incorporation under the Companies Act, 1908 to "improve and advance the status and remuneration of qualified members of the engineering profession"^[1] as it was felt that the institutions charter prevented its negotiation of employment conditions and salary.

As time progressed it was realised that the institution and association might better advance engineering in Ireland by amalgamation of both into a single organisation which would represent a broader set of engineering disciplines, discussions commenced in 1965^[1], and resulted in The Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act, 1969 leading to the redesignation of the unified institution as The Institution of Engineers of Ireland - Cumann na nInnealtóirí. Since this act the institution has represented all branches of engineering in Ireland.

In 1997 the institution set up the Irish Academy of Engineering, based at Bolton Street, Dublin Institute of Technology.

[edit] Mission

"The institution promotes the art and science of engineering...", in particular:

"Our members serve society through the highest standards of professional engineering. We seek to improve the quality of life for all, creating prosperity and adding value through innovation and the promotion of health, and sustainable development."

[edit] Sectors

The institution is divided into a three sectors of Divisions, Regions and Societies which are further subdivided - their purpose is to promote engineering and share knowledge.

Divisions: Agricultural and Food Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Chemical and Process Engineering; Civil; Electrical/Electronic Engineering; Energy - Environment; Extractive Industries; Fire and Safety; ICT; Local Government; Mechanical and Manufacturing; Structures and Construction.

Regions: An Ríocht; Cork; Donegal; London and South-East; Midland; North-East; Northern; North-West; South-East; Thomond; West.

Societies: Academic Society; An Roth; Geotechnical Society; Heritage Society; meeta -The Asset Managers; Project Management Society; Roads and Transportation Society; Water and Environmental Engineering Society; Young Engineers Society (Y.E.S); z - CIGRE Ireland; zz - ToastMasters.

[edit] International

In accordance with EU requirements it is the designated authority for the engineering profession in Ireland^[2]. The institution is a national member of European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI). The institution is also a signator to a number of multilateral agreements, these are principally for registered professional titles and accredited engineering programmes, for academic programmes these are^[3]:

Year	Agreement	Qualification	Practitioner
1989	The Washington Accord^[4]	An accredited engineering degree	Engineer
2001	The Sydney Accord	National Diploma in Engineering	Technologist
2002	The Dublin Accord	National Certificate in Engineering	Technician

The institution is also the signator to a number of bilateral agreements with engineering societies in the United Kingdom. These are for the dual recognition of corressponding Chartered Engineer, Associate Engineer and Engineering Technician grades of the institution.