The Irish Computer Society was founded in 1967 as the national body for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professionals in Ireland. Since its foundation the ICS has promoted the continuous development of professional ICT knowledge and skills in Ireland by organising seminars, lectures and related activities.

Representation

The ICS represents the views of members to Government on topics of relevance, such as budgets and taxation, data protection, education and training. The Society is a nominating body for the Industrial and Commercial Panel of Seanad Eireann. ICS members serve from time to time on commissions, boards and committees appointed by government.

Professional Ethics

By joining the ICS members subscribe to its professional code of conduct.

Computer Literacy

1997 as a member of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) Foundation the ICS entered a new chapter in its history by founding ECDL Ireland to provide and promote a recognised international standard of computer literacy certification for people resident in Ireland.

The ECDL programme is currently available in most European countries and can also be availed of in many other countries as the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) through national organisations or UNESCO. To date over one million people have achieved ECDL/ICDL IT certification.

International and Strategic Affiliations

The ICS is an active member of the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS). CEPIS maintains both formal and informal links with the European Union and is recognised as a non-governmental organisation with consultative status by the Council of Europe.

The ICS is the national Member Society of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). IFIP is an international non-governmental, non-profit umbrella organization for national societies and other interested parties working in the field of information processing, established in 1960 under the auspices of UNESCO following the first World Computer Congress held in Paris in 1959.