Newly inaugurated Engineers Ireland president Maurice Buckley has vowed to maintain the strong focus on sustainability during his term of office, reports the Engineers Journal.

Policy changes outlined in the programme for government – in transport, housing, building retrofit, energy, broadband and communications, and in regionalisation – are all changes that require engineers and sustainable engineering solutions if they are to be delivered effectively, he said.

"As president, I am honoured to lead and mobilise our engineering community and to activate our collective capacity to deliver sustainable solutions which will benefit families and communities all across Ireland,” said Buckley.

'Programme for government a clarion call'

“The new programme for government is a clarion call for engineering solutions from start to finish.

"Apart from the high level of capital investment already planned in Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan, the policy changes foreseen in transport, housing, building retrofit, energy, broadband and communications, and in regionalisation are all changes that require engineers and sustainable engineering solutions if they are to be delivered effectively.

"Engineers Ireland and our community will be the conduit through which that work can be done.”

Buckley urged qualified engineers from all disciplines to join the Engineer’s Ireland community and also called for greater participation by Engineers Ireland’s members in standards development activities.

In April 2019 the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation changed its 'Critical Skills List of Occupations' to include civil, mechanical and electrical engineers with BIM capabilities, thereby allowing overseas workers to qualify for an employment permit and facilitating the entry of skilled non-EEA (European Economic Area) workers to fill shortages.  

OPW executive chairman

Buckley, executive chairman of the Office of Public Works (OPW), was inaugurated as the 128^th president of Engineers Ireland at the professional membership body’s AGM, which was held virtually on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

From an engineering family – his late father, Denis Buckley, was president of Engineers Ireland’s Western Region in the 1970s – he has, previously, worked for the Boston Consulting Group in Munich and was also the chief executive of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). He joined the OPW in 2017. He was elected vice-president of Engineers Ireland in 2018.

Maurice Buckley, president, Engineers Ireland, 2020-2021

A Chartered Engineer and University College Dublin electrical engineering graduate, he will hold the position of president for the organisation’s 2020/2021 session.

At the OPW, Buckley is leading large-scale capital investment and maintenance programmes to improve Ireland’s flood defences and public buildings, both modern and heritage. 

At the AGM, John Power, a former director general, was elected vice-president of Engineers Ireland – one of two along with Professor Orla Feely. 

The new president also expressed his gratitude to his predecessor, Marguerite Sayers, and congratulated her on a very successful tenure. He also thanked Peter Quinn, who has completed his term as past president of Engineers Ireland.  

The AGM was, due to the pandemic, largely a virtual event this year, with just a small number of staff present at Engineers Ireland's headquarters in 22 Clyde Road. 

‘Global Engineer Event series’

Separately, Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, said that engineers who came to Ireland last year to work in positions arising from the critical skills shortage, made up 38% of its new membership in 2019. 

To support these members, the organisation’s ‘Global Engineer Event series’ offered advice on working in Ireland, improved interview techniques and other supports.  

Maintaining world-class standards in schools of engineering was also noted within the annual report by Spillane, with 52 engineering programmes being accredited by the professional membership body in 2019 – double that of the 2018.

In addition to supporting the continuing professional development (CPD) of engineers, more than 3,450 delegates attended 245 CPD learning events in 2019 and 116 engineering organisations achieved Engineers Ireland’s CPD Accredited Employer Standard.

Talent pipeline

The development of Ireland’s future engineering talent pipeline was also highlighted as part of the report, with more than 176,000 children, teachers and volunteers directly interacting with Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme in 2019.

Spillane noted that this achievement was only made possible due to the dedication and commitment of volunteers, whose efforts are vital in raising interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in communities across Ireland.

To review Engineers Ireland’s 2019 Annual Report, visit: https://www.engineersireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=c5jhyPPzqlg%3d&portalid=0&resourceView=1