Clare County Council Leads the Way in Engineering Excellence

President of Engineers Ireland Laura Burke today (Wednesday, April 30, 2025) visited Áras Contae an Chláir to present the award, which Clare County Council first received in 2003 for its high-quality CPD systems and practices that support the growth and expertise of its engineering and technical staff.

Clare County Council achieved the ‘Transformational’ Standard in three of the seven accreditation criteria - an advanced level reserved for organisations that demonstrate exceptional CPD practices with strategic impact.

Dr Carmel Kirby, Interim Chief Executive of Clare County Council, said, “Retaining CPD accreditation over the last 22 years is a testament to Clare County Council’s dedication to the professional advancement of staff.”

“This recognition reaffirms our belief that investing in our people is investing in the future of our county,” she added. “Through a culture of continuous professional development, Clare County Council is not only strengthening its workforce but also setting a national benchmark for excellence in local governance.”

Seán Lenihan, A/Director of Services, Economic Development, and Chair of the Councils CPD Committee, explained, “This standard aims to enhance engineering expertise and foster adaptable employees, building a workforce empowered to innovate and develop new solutions. The continuous learning and development of our entire team strengthens our ability to deliver professional, responsive, and inclusive local government. By being positioned to do so, it enables us to advance social, economic, physical, rural, and tourism development throughout the county, with sustainable communities at its core.  We are really proud to have again retained the accreditation standard, having been the first Local Authority in the Country to receive it back in 2003. Over the years, we moved swiftly from the basic standard to the advanced standard in each of the 7 Criteria and now to have attained transformational standard in 3 of them is very welcome news indeed. This of course didn’t happen by accident and is testament to the many good people we have working for us, both past and present”, Lenihan concluded.

Monica Meehan, Senior Executive Officer, Human Resources, Clare County Council, welcomed the acknowledgement by Engineers Ireland of the ongoing work in this area. She said that this reaccreditation follows the award of the platinum standard earlier this year in ‘Excellence Through People’ by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), “We are very proud to be the first Local Authority in Ireland to achieve this platinum standard.”

The re-accreditation process involved a comprehensive submission to Engineers Ireland, followed by a series of interviews and presentations with staff across the organisation.

The resulting audit report praised Clare County Council for its “excellent, well-integrated CPD systems, processes and practices,” noting clear and consistent evidence of “top-level and cross-functional commitment to CPD.”

The auditors also highlighted that Clare County Council's CPD initiatives are “constantly reviewed and aligned to the organisation’s strategic goals,” reinforcing the critical role that professional development plays in achieving long-term success.

Engineers Ireland, founded in 1835, represents over 25,000 members from across all engineering disciplines. As one of Ireland’s oldest and most respected professional bodies, it plays a vital role in supporting engineers in delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to society.