SRA Ireland

The SRA currently has a small but growing membership throughout the island of Ireland. The SRA has a unique contribution to make to the professional development of social research in Ireland and over the past few months volunteers have been raising the profile of the SRA and improving the services available to members throughout Ireland. This includes the local provision of quality research training and workshops, seminars and other events, as well as opportunities to network. Review of 2004 Looking back over the past year, the main effort has been on building up the SRA’s membership on the island of Ireland. In addition to independent researchers/consultants, we now have members in a whole range of public/private sector bodies, including: Combat Poverty Agency (www.cpa.ie) Comhairle (www.comhairle.ie) Equality Authority (www.equality.ie) Goodbody Economic Consultants (www.goodbody.ie) Insight Statistical Consulting (www.insightsc.ie) Institute of Public Administration (www.ipa.ie) KW Research and Associates Ltd. (kwresearch@eircom.net) MORI Ireland (www.mori.com/sri) National Children’s Office (www.nco.ie) National Disability Authority (www.nda.ie) National Economic and Social Forum (www.nesf.ie) Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (www.nisra.gov.uk). In addition, do also look up a couple of other organisations with which some of our members are also involved: Irish Social Policy Association (www.ispa.ie) Policy Institute (www.policyinstitute.tcd.ie). Once we can get one or two training courses off the ground in 2006, we should really be up and running! Get in touch … The opportunities to network, organise training, raise the professional recognition and representation of social research in Ireland will grow as our membership grows. So, if you are interested in knowing more, and even better would like to help, do get in touch with me at phumphreys@ipa.ie. You never know, it could be the best career move you make in 2006!!