Conscientious Observers

Conscientious Observers are making this statement as it appears that governance culture in Engineers Ireland has not changed, since we made public our observations of non-compliance in 2023. We can substantiate this opinion based on sample observations from the recently published Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2024.

Furthermore, it is important to publicise that all of our previous articles, when published, were supported by links to source information, publicly available, on the Engineers Ireland website. The Institution has subsequently placed a membership firewall on a number of those source documents, in what can only be interpreted as a move to reduce transparency further.

We refer to page 19 of the Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2024, under the sub-heading ‘Membership Growth in 2024’. As background to this statement, we recommend that you read our articles “What does Membership ‘growth’ in Engineers Ireland mean?” and “Engineers Ireland – progressively less relevant to HEA Graduate Engineers”.

Observation 1

“Engineers Ireland achieved strong membership growth again for 2024. In total, there were 2,178 new members recruited to the Institution, which exceeded the Business Plan 2024 target by 9%……Meanwhile, there were 1,184 removals and resignations.”

1. This statement implies that the net membership growth of (2,178 – 1,184) = 994. Yet what is recorded, in the accompanying table, is a net membership growth (29,885 – 28,075) = 1,810. Which is it?
2. It appears net growth is not a target metric in Engineers Ireland’s Business Planning.

Observation 2

“In 2024, Engineers Ireland experienced a net growth of 711 non-student members, reflecting the steady upward trend of recent years and highlighting the continued importance of both attracting new members and retaining existing ones.”

Compare this to the statement under the sub-heading ‘International members’.

“In 2024, Engineers Ireland welcomed 625 new members who graduated from institutions in 72 different countries – accounting for 53% of all new members”.

1. This statement is misleading. In the quoted text under Observation 1 above we are told “there were 2,178 new members”, therefore 53% would represent 1,154 and not 625.
2. The fact that growth in “Global Engineers”, Corporate Members registered as MIEI is presented as a percentage of total (including students) membership growth, even though the “net growth of 711 non-student members” is provided, could indeed be on purpose, so as to hide the underlying issue we highlighted in our aforementioned articles.

1. While the net growth in non-student members was 711 in 2024, it comprised of 87.90% “Global Engineers” (625) who graduated from outside the Irish third level academic Institutions.
2. When revisiting the most recent Engineers Ireland Annual Reports we note that in 2023 the net growth in non-student members was 871. However, it comprised of 71.06% “Global Engineers” (619) who graduated from outside the Irish third level academic Institutions.
3. In 2022 while it was reported that there was a net growth in non-student members (389), there was a fall in Corporate Members, which may have been overlooked because of the 117.48% contribution “Global Engineers” (457) who graduated from outside the Irish third level academic Institutions, made.
4. While in 2021 we note the net growth in non-student members was 689, it comprised of 85.34% “Global Engineers” (588) who graduated from outside the Irish third level academic Institutions.

3. Furthermore, the issues raised in our article “Engineers Ireland and the chase for Global Engineers”, seem to persist with the outstanding questions on how Engineers Ireland will “assure its members that the integrity of the membership regulations has been strictly complied with in all cases for this membership expansion initiative”.

Observation 3

“Our total membership now stands at 29,885 – or 21,052 excluding students – marking the first time that fee-paying membership has surpassed the 21,000 milestone.”

1. This statement is simply untrue. For background we refer you to our article, “Presidential Invitation to Fellow – Has it become just another Club?”. In that article we quote clause 7.1.7 of the Membership Regulations(2020) which states: “Companions of Engineers Ireland, Honorary Fellows, members conferred with Fellowship by Presidential invitation and Past Presidents of Engineers Ireland are exempt from subscription payments.”

1. According to the table on Page 19, there are 56 “Companions / Honorary Fellows”. These have not been excluded from the “fee-paying” membership.
2. Furthermore, since 2018 alone, there have been 41 Fellowship by Presidential invitation recipients. Past Presidents and Fellowship by Presidential invitation who are non-paying members are numbered amongst the group of 1,492 Fellows. All of these have not been excluded from the “fee-paying” membership.
3. In addition, the graduates who registered as Corporate Members (MIEI) {refer to Observation 4, point 3} do not pay membership fees in the first year and appear not to have been excluded from the “fee-paying” membership.
4. This statement, therefore, while approved by Council, is untrue.

Observation 4

1. Based on the Corporate Members definition in Engineers Ireland Bye-laws(2012) there would appear to be 19,735 Corporate Members at the end of 2024, of which 10,139 are registered as MIEI. For reference, the number of Corporate Members registered as MIEI at the end of 2009 was 10,430.
2. Of the 9,645 Corporate Members registered as MIEI in ‘Roll at 31 December 2023’, (refer to table, Pg 19) a net increase of 88 Corporate Members is recorded as receiving the Professional Title of “Chartered Engineer” (CEng MIEI) in 2024.
3. The Personnel costs in 2024 (refer to Note 5, Pg 58) accounted for 82.08% of the Professional Subscriptions Income, (refer to Income and Expenditure Accounts, Pg. 50) yet it appears only 86 graduates from Irish third level academic institutions registered as Corporate Members (MIEI), which is equivalent to 1.11% of its student membership in ‘Roll at 31 December 2023’.

End.