Governance
How IRDG is governed — and how members can influence its work.
IRDG is a member organisation with a voluntary Board, an executive team responsible for delivery, and several routes for members to contribute evidence, experience and challenge. This page explains who does what and how to take part.
Purpose
A member organisation built around useful industry action.
IRDG exists to help companies doing research, development and innovation in Ireland influence the conditions they work in, build capability, connect with peers and navigate funding and incentives.
The organisation is most useful when member experience travels in both directions: into IRDG's priorities, and back out as practical support, stronger connections and clearer collective positions.
Legal identity
The registered entity behind IRDG.
- Registered name
- Industry Research and Development Group Company Limited by Guarantee
- Trading as
- IRDG
- Company number
- 193384
- Registered office
- Regus Pembroke House, 28–32 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Data protection
- Handled under the IRDG Privacy Notice
Note. A company limited by guarantee has no share capital. Its members guarantee a nominal amount rather than holding shares.
Roles
Who does what.
Three layers, with different authority. Keeping them distinct is what makes accountability possible.
Board of Directors
Approves strategy, budget, key policies and matters reserved to it; provides governance oversight; and holds the Chief Executive accountable for delivery. It delegates day-to-day management to the Chief Executive within agreed authorities.
Chief Executive and team
Responsible for operations, people, services, programmes, partnerships and implementation of the agreed strategy. The Chief Executive organises day-to-day delivery within delegated authorities and reports to the Board.
Members, committees and groups
Contribute evidence, priorities, practical experience and challenge through surveys, consultations, working groups, practice groups, events, programme feedback and direct conversations. They inform decisions but are not decision-making bodies unless authority is formally delegated.
Company membership
Service membership and legal membership.
IRDG is a company limited by guarantee, and every paid-up IRDG member organisation is a member of the company — with notice of the AGM, the right to attend, and voting rights.
For the detail as it applies to your organisation — how directors are appointed, and which decisions are reserved to members — contact IRDG and we will give it to you in writing.
Member voice
How what a member says becomes something IRDG does.
Four steps, from what a member raises to what IRDG reports back.
Members raise what they are seeing
A company shares an operational problem, emerging need, policy issue or useful practice through the team, a group, an event or research.
IRDG tests the pattern
The team distinguishes an individual support request from a wider issue, compares experience across members and uses research or consultation where useful.
The right route is chosen
Direct member support, a programme, a peer connection, a collective position or engagement with a public body. The approval route reflects the significance of the issue and any matters reserved to the Board.
IRDG reports back
Members should be able to see what was heard, what action was taken and what remains open, without confidential company information being exposed.
Ways to contribute
Contribution is part of how IRDG is accountable.
Nearly everything IRDG publishes, argues or runs starts with a member giving time — evidence for policy work, practice shared with peers, stories, training priorities, and service on the Board itself. The routes, each with who it is for and what it involves, are set out on one page.
External representation
Where IRDG represents industry on external bodies.
IRDG is a member of Revenue's R&D Tax Credit Working Group and brings member evidence into implementation discussions. That is an external working group, not an IRDG governing body, and IRDG does not speak for it.
Complaints and feedback
Tell us when something has not worked.
Feedback can be informal. A complaint is a clear expression of dissatisfaction that needs a response. IRDG handles concerns raised in good faith fairly, proportionately and without unnecessary disclosure.
Start with IRDG
Email [email protected] with "Complaint" in the subject line, or write to the registered office. Explain what happened, the service or activity involved, the outcome you are seeking and how you would like us to contact you. If you need an adjustment to use this route, call +353 1 234 2401.
Assessment and response
IRDG records and acknowledges the complaint, assigns it to an appropriate person, considers the relevant information and provides a reasoned response with any next step.
Where the usual route is not suitable
If the complaint concerns the person who would normally receive it, ask for it to be referred to the Chief Executive or, where appropriate, the Chair of the Board.
Ask for a review
If you remain dissatisfied, you can ask for the response to be reviewed by someone who was not responsible for it.
Privacy and programme routes
Data-protection enquiries and rights requests can also be sent to [email protected] and are handled under the Privacy Notice. Where another provider or Skillnet Ireland has a separate role, IRDG will explain the relevant route.
Different kinds of concern
A service complaint is not the same as a data-protection request, an employment matter, a protected disclosure or a safeguarding concern. Where a separate route applies, IRDG will tell you what it is.