Who can become a member of the IIRRT?
Any student studying BSc in Radiography or BSc in Radiation Therapy in the Republic of Ireland or any graduate from the aforementioned schools can become a member of the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy.
I qualified outside the Republic of Ireland can I become a member of the IIRRT?
All radiographers/radiation therapists who qualified outside the Republic of Ireland must individually apply to the Minister for Health and Children to have their qualifications validated before taking up employment in Ireland. This is a requirement under EU law (EU Directive 89/48). Applicants who have qualifications deemed equivalent to BSc Radiography or BSc Radiation Therapy can become a member of the IIRRT.
How do I have my qualifications validated?
You will need to apply to have your qualifications validated. The relevant forms are found on the website and must be sent into the Department of Health along with listed required documents. If all is in order the Department of Health will forward your application to the Radiographers Qualification Review Board (RQRB) a subcommittee of the IIRRT. The RQRB will assess your application and recommend to the Department of Health whether you are eligible to practice in the Republic of Ireland. The Department of Health will inform you of the judgment and if successful will issue you a letter of validation.
Do I need to become a member of the IIRRT to work as a Radiographer or Radiation Therapist?
No you do not need to become a member of the institute to work in Ireland. You do however need to be validated to work. It is recommended to become a member of your professional body however especially if you ever plan to work abroad as many countries require evidence that you were registered with the professional body of the countries in which you previously worked before considering candidates for a job.
What benefits will I receive as a member of the IIRRT?
Further information of the benefits to members of the IIRRT can be found here
How to I apply for membership to the IIRRT?
All applicants must fill in the membership application form in full. This form may be filled in online through the online membership subscription service found in the membership section. Alternatively the form may be downloaded and filled in and returned by post to the IIRRT office for the attention of the membership secretary.
If you qualified outside of the republic of Ireland you must also submit a copy of your validation letter from the department of health in order for your application to be considered.
Finally you must choose a method of payment of membership fees. You may pay your fees for the remainder of the year either by credit card payment through our online paypal account or by forwarding a cheque/bank draft with the remaining year’s subscription to the office with your details. Alternatively you can sign up to our monthly direct debit fee payment option by filling in the online form or downloading and returning the completed form to the office.
For further details please refer to the ‘Become a member’ section here
I have applied for membership online and paid my membership fees through paypal. I have received an email informing me that my application is under review and this may take several weeks, why have my fees been taken despite the fact I am not yet a member?
Even though you have submitted your application online, it still has to be manually checked for validity and to ensure all necessary documentation is in order by the membership secretary before your application is accepted. This process may take several weeks due to the voluntary nature of our work. Given the high level of successful applications, the IIRRT envisage to backdate your membership to the day of application i.e. fee payment and this is why you are asked to pay upfront when paying by paypal. Any unsuccessful applications will have their fee refunded in total once the process is completed.
Can you tell me more about the professional indemnity insurance offered by the IIRRT?
Details of the policy summary can be downloaded from the website via this link
I graduated in the Republic of Ireland, do I still need to apply for validation?
No. The degree programmes in the Republic are validated by the institute so therefore you do not need to apply for validation of your qualifications.
Does the professional body regulate the profession?
No the IIRRT does not currently regulate either profession. This is done by the competent authority the Department of Health and Children.
I have applied to work abroad as a Radiographer/Radiation Therapist and have been asked to provide a letter of good standing from my regulatory/professional body, can the IIRRT issue me with such a letter?
The IIRRT does not issue letters of good standing as we do not have a fitness to practice committee. We are also not the professions regulatory body. The IIRRT can however issue a letter as the professional body. These letters can only be issued to members who have active continuous membership of the IIRRT for a minimum of one year prior to requesting the letter. The letter will state your membership number and that you are a member of your professional body but that we do not regulate the profession nor issue letters of good standing. These letters are issued at the discretion of council.
I need to amend some of my personal details/subscription details, how do I do this and how long does it take?
Requests for changes to personal/subscription details can be made by filling out the Change of Personal Details form (link) and sending the completed form to the IIRRT office for the attention of the membership secretary. Alternatively requests can be made by emailing the membership secretary at IIRRTmembership@gmail.com. Please include your name and membership number to avoid any delays in processing your request. If you have forgotten your membership number please include your date of birth to allow us to locate your account. Please note cancellation or amendment of membership fee amounts/method of payment require at least 4 weeks processing time.
The IIRRT is a voluntary organisation and as such council members undertake council work in their spare time. Please allow 6-8 weeks for any change of details to take effect on your membership. The IIRRT is committed to improving its service to its members and is currently looking into ways of reducing these waiting times. We hope to introduce a new online membership section where members can log in and update their details as needed.
Do my membership fees qualify for tax refund from the revenue office?
Membership fees to a professional body do not qualify under any tax refund scheme.
I would like a receipt for my membership fee payments, how can I obtain this?
Due to the voluntary nature of our work the IIRRT is unable to issue all members with receipts of membership fee payment. All members paying by cheque/bank draft will be issued with a receipt to their registered address. All members paying by direct debit can use their bank statements as receipt of their payment.
How can I become a member of the council?
Any member of the IIRRT is eligible to apply to represent on council should an appropriate seat become available. Members may represent on council based on their ‘registered address’. This is the address given as your contact address on your member application form and may be your work address. Council seats are designated by region. For example if you wish to represent on council for your workplace e.g. a south Dublin hospital but you lived in north county Dublin you should put your work address as your registered address. For more information on the breakdown of regions please click here