The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland

The ICAI is the largest and longest established accountancy body in Ireland. It has over 13,000 members and it is the leading voice of the accountancy profession in Ireland.

The Institute was established by Royal Charter in 1888. Its activities and those of its members are governed by its by-laws and by rules relating to professional and ethical conduct. The Institute is governed by a Council and it is responsible for determining policy and monitoring its implementation. Council is lead by the Officer Group and supported by the Management Team and staff. A number of committees with voluntary member involvement also play a key role.

Professional Qualification

Members of the ICAI are Chartered Accountants. Of the 13,000 ICAI members, approximately 11,000 are based in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Over 2,000 Irish Chartered Accountants work in more than 80 countries globally. 65% of CAs make their careers in the arenas of finance, business and industry. 35% of Irish CAs work in practice, offering expertise in audit, tax accountancy and consultancy to a wide range of clients.

To qualify as a Chartered Accountant, candidates must gain work experience under a training contract with a firm recognised by the ICAI. They must also pass professional examinations set by the institute and demonstrate competence in Information Technology.

As with the many other recognised financial qualifications, your path to CA qualification will depend on your prior education achievements. For example, there are different starting points for school leavers and graduates. The only restriction is that candidate must be over 17 years of age in order to begin a training contract. Candidates who are currently studying (or indeed have completed) other financial qualifications such as ACCA, AAT, CIMA, CIPFA etc will be exempt from some of the ICAI's examinations.

Detailed descriptions of the various routes of entry and exemptions can be found on the ICAI website.

Source: www.icai.ie

Contact details

ICAI - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland
CA House
83 Pembroke House
Dublin 4, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)1 637 7200
Fax: +353 (0)1 668 0842
Email: ca@icai.ie
Web: www.icai.ie