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GAZETTE
SEPTEMBER 1978,
FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 25th MAY, 1978
Address of the President, Nuala Kernan
Ladies and Gentlemen,
During the past year we in the F.P.A. have had
opportunities to review our understanding of
professionalism and how our various professional
associations support us in that professionalism. This
review culminated in the conference held last month on
"The Functions of a Professional Association in relation
to its members and in relation to society". Prior to the
conference, with the help of both member associations
and several other associations the conference committee
carried out a survey of the services offered by
professional associations to their members. The
participating associations, most of whom also took part
on the conference, varied in size from a membership of 80
to a membership of 8,000. The survey brought to light
much information which was what might have been
expected, and some information which might be
considered surprising. For instance, of the eighteen
associations participating sixteen have elected Councils,
ten stated that they had Codes of Practice, eleven have
disciplinary arrangements, fifteen directly control the
required entry standards. However, it may surprise you
that the vast majority of members of professional
associations are in salaried employment. If only three of
the associations was less than half the membership made
up of people in salaried employment and in thirteen
associations the percentage was at least 70%. Not so
surprising, in that context then, only five associations
claimed to have Scales of Minimum charges — Not
surprising when the percentage of members in salaried
employment of seven of the associations were 92%,
100%, 90%, 98%, 96%, 95%, and 95%. So it would
appear that the traditional understanding of a professional
person as an independent practitioner belongs for many
to the past.
During the conference we discussed that
professionalism which is our common bond. In his
opening talk Bruce Reed discussed three aspects of
professional work with which a Professional Association
must concern itself. These three aspects are (a) the
academic aspect, particularly in view of the increasing
tendency for educational establishments and indeed State
accrediting bodies to regard the involvement of
professional associations as irrelevant; (b) the service
aspect, but which the professional relates to his client, and
which has traditionally been supported by Codes of
Behaviour. Public expectation in this area is very high,
sometimes unrealistically so. This is the aspect of
professional work which comes first to most peoples mind
when the word professional is used. And thirdly (c) what
Bruce Reed called the collaborative aspect. By this he
referred to the professional working within an institution,
whether a commercial or other institution, for instance the
Civil Service or a Semi-State body. While the institution
needs the professional's expert knowledge, the values of
the institution tend in time to exercise some measure of
control over the professional.
Now if I have drawn your attention first to the fact that
the vast majority of our members are in fact in salaried
employment and secondly to the kinds of pressures being
exerted on professional associations and on their
members, I do not do so -out of any sense of fear, but
because I believe that we should be clear about the world
in which we work if indeed we are to put our best foot
forward. And we should be clear about who our members
are and what support they need. But if there was any
feature of the conference which was memorable, it was
the notable strength of the professions. In fact, the
strength of professional associations meeting together was
so apparent that Dr. Noel Whelan, our second speaker
asked us not to approach Government Services as a
body, but only as individual professions to relevant
departments. Now I leave that piece of information with
you. Dr. Whelan is concerned about improving the
efficiency of the Civil Service, something we must all
applaud. However, a Civil Service which has removed the
possibility of creative conflict may run efficiently, but
may also be sterile. Of course life would be easier for all
of us or so we're inclined to think, if troublesome or
seemingly discordant factors are removed. But as
professionals we accept responsibility for working with all
aspects of a case. The very thing we must not do is pre-
judge any situation or problem, we must always approach
each new situation, problem, case afresh. We aim to give
of our best each time. Experience may lighten the load,
but we are not afraid to face something new. Or if we are
afraid, that is why we have the support of our
professional colleagues in a professional association. It is
that capacity for initiative, initiative within our
competence, that is supported by our colleagues. Our
colleagues can support us because they can identify with
the values support enables us to face conflict. And very
often that conflict represents an opportunity for
creativity. Perhaps it's easier for an architect to be aware
of the potential creativity when what is created takes a
concrete form. For other professional people what has
been created may seem nebulous — but it's there just the
same.
Now I've strayed a long way from Dr. Whelan. But the
point I want to make is that contact between professional
bodies and the Government, whether as individual
associations or as'a group of associations must have
creative potential and is therefore to be welcomed. Of
course it will be fruitless if there is not an acceptance on
either side of the authority of the other. Respect for the
authority of the other controls the need to dominate the
other. Of course the task of the Civil Service is immense.
Of course their work is in our interest. And civil servants
are subject to many pressures, including political
pressures. But it seemed to me, I hope I haven't
interpreted him incorrectly, that Dr. Whelan was asking
us to be aware of the nature and strength of those
pressures and to temper our submissions accordingly.
Professional people are responsible people. We are aware
of those many pressures. Unfortunately though, all these
pressures are being experienced -negatively — 'pressure
group' has a bad name. If professional bodies make
submissions to the Government or the Civil Service, it will
be because they believe that certain information or type of
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