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The Institution of Engineers of Ireland ( Irish: Cumann na nInnealtóirí) or the IEI, is the second oldest engineering society in the British Isles established in 1835 and currently representing over 20,000 members, primarily in Ireland, the Institution accepted its current name in 1969 by an Act of the Oireachtas. 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.
Originally set up as the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (ICEI) it received a Royal Charter on October 15th 1877, this been a significant milestone in obtaining international recognition and standing. In the early years of the Irish Free State Cumann na nInnealtoiri (The Engineers Association) was set up independently, in 1928, by incorporation under the Companies Act, 1908.
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, this was done by The Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act, 1969 leading to the creation of The Institution of Engineers of Ireland - Cumann na nInnealtóirí as it is currently designated.
"The Institution promotes the art and science of engineering...", in particular:
In accordance with EU regulations it is the designated authority for the engineering profession in Ireland. The Institution is a national member of European Federation of National Engineering AssociationsEuropean Federation of National Engineering Associations FEANI is a professional body and currently represents over 2 million professional engineers in 26 European countries. Members receive the pre-nominal title Eur Ing (European Engineer) and are placed (FEANI). The Institution is also a signator to a number of international agreements, these are principally for registered professional titles and accredited engineering programmes, for academic programmes1 these are:
| Year | Agreement | Qualification | Practitioner |
| 1989 | The Washington Accord [1] | Accredited Engineering DegreeBachelor of Engineering BE or BEng is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after four or five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university in the United States and other countries, such as Australia. Baccalaureus i | Engineer |
| 2001 | The Sydney Accord | National DiplomaThe National Diploma NDip ( Irish: Dioploma Naisiunta is a three year ab initio specialised higher education qualification in a technology discipline offered by an Institute of Technology or other HETAC designated institution in the Republic of Ireland. in Engineering | Technologist |
| 2002 | The Dublin Accord | National CertificateThe National Certificate NCert ( Irish: Teastais Naisiunta is a two year broadly based higher education qualification in an technology discipline offered by an Institute of Technology or a HETAC designated institution in Ireland. The National Certificate in Engineering | Technician |
1) This table is only a summary, for detailed information on acceptable qualifications contact the Institution.