Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Tom Hayes RD; Bertie O'Leary, ICOS President and Seamus O'Donohoe ICOS CEO with the Sir Horace Plunkett bust at the launch of The Plunkett Institute for Co-operative Governance during the ICOS National Conference in Portlaoise

The Plunkett Institute for Co-Operative Governance was launched today at the ICOS conference in Portlaoise. The institute, together with ICOS, will act as an expert body supporting the governance of Irish co-operative organisations and continuous professional development. It will work with all levels of farmers, from new entrants to regional committee members and experienced directors, to ensure that the industry is well served with capable, educated and experienced decision makers.

The institute will set out to establish a set of governance principles for Co-operative Societies in Ireland; provide recognised training and education for members; hold a register of those who are considered to have reached a particular level of competence with regard to acting as a Board Member of a Co-operative Society; and establish structures to ensure compliance with the Institute’s set of Governance principles, including disciplinary procedures.

The institute will also work to represent it’s members internationally and provide support to it’s members.

The Institute is named after Sir Horace Plunkett, the founder of the Irish Co-operative movement.

ICOS President Bertie O’Leary said: “Plunkett’s rationale of ‘better farming, better business, better living’ remains the driving influence for the Irish co-operative sector where modern day producers must organise strongly to look after their own future interests in the marketplace. For the current generation of Irish farmers, the challenge of global competition and the challenge of extracting a fair margin from the marketplace is becoming more ever more complex.

“They must continue to co-operate in a manner that enables them to compete with large investor owned firms. To do so they must have the necessary leadership and management skills and this is where The Plunkett Institute will play an important and strategic role.”

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Image: Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Tom Hayes RD; Bertie O’Leary, ICOS President and Seamus O’Donohoe ICOS CEO with the Sir Horace Plunkett bust at the launch of The Plunkett Institute for Co-operative Governance during the ICOS National Conference in Portlaoise

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