Honours

A Fellow of the PRII is recognised as a leader in the public relations and communications profession. 

Members eligible for consideration for PRII Fellowship need to have been a Full Member of the Institute in good standing for a period of not less than 10 years.

They will hold a senior position within the profession and be deemed to have made a significant contribution to the work and development of the PRII and of the profession.

If accepted, Fellows make a commitment to support the ongoing work and development of profession and the Institute.

The minimum requirements and assessment criteria for Fellowship are set out below.

Why become a PRII Fellow?

• You will be receiving a prestigious professional honour considered by many to be a career pinnacle

• You will be officially recognised by your peers for your leadership and seniority

• Your contribution to the promotion and development of the public relations profession in Ireland will be marked

• Your profile among the Irish public relations industry and wider business community will be raised

• Fellows are authorised to use the FPRII designation

What role do PRII Fellows play?

• Fellows are asked to promote the profession and professional best practice

• Fellows are encouraged to contribute to the development of the PRII and its standards and policies

• Fellows are expected to raise awareness of the benefits of PRII membership

Nominees for Fellowship must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Full member of the PRII for a minimum of 10 years
• Faithfully applied the ethics standards of the profession and Codes of Practice adopted by PRII during their career
• In good standing with the Institute (dues paid up to date)
• Must be, or have been, actively engaged in the public relations or communications profession
• Have made a significant contribution to the work and development of the Institute
• Demonstrated an exceptional level of professional work either as an in-house practitioner or consultant.

Nomination process:

Nominators (self-nomination is accepted) are asked to fill out this nomination form and send it, in confidence, to the PRII CEO, Martina Byrne, at [email protected].

The next deadline for receipt of nominations is 14 October 2024

After the specified deadline, the PRII Fellowship Sub-Committee will review the Fellow nominations. The subcommittee consists of five individuals, chaired by Ita Gibney FPRII (Life), with a detailed knowledge of the public relations community and profession. They ensure the standards of this professional distinction are upheld. The National Council review and vote on whether to adopt Fellows as recommended by the subcommittee – if successful, that individual will be awarded the title of Fellow.

Nominees are not competing each other in a given year, they are demonstrating how they meet or surpass the criteria of a PRII Fellow.

The number of Fellowships awarded in any given year is a decision for the Fellowship Sub Committee and dependent on the number of nominees who meet/surpass the criteria.

It is important that nominees provide as much clear evidence as possible (with proof points) and provide demonstrable examples of the exceptional level of professional work and significant contribution they have made to

a) the sector/profession and

b) the work/development of the Institute.

It is necessary, but not sufficient, that the nominee is a very capable professional/practitioner.

Endorsements/references by other members/third parties should not be relied on as sufficient evidence.

Nominees and/those nominating another should not assume any prior knowledge of the nominee or their work by any/all members of the Fellowship Sub-Committee.

This is the highest honour that the PRII can bestow on a Full member.

Under the PRII's constitution (Memorandum & Articles) no more than two Life Fellowships can be awarded each year, and they must be approved by two-thirds of those present at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute.

Life Fellowship recognises an individual who has given outstanding or exceptional service to the Institute and the profession.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Life Fellowship, a candidate must meet the following criteria:

• be a member of the Institute for a period of no less than 15 years
• be a Fellow of the Institute for a period of no less than 5 years
• be in good standing with the Institute (dues paid up to date)
• be, or have been, actively engaged in the public relations/communications profession or in education related to the profession
• have given outstanding service to the Institute
• have held a position of leadership within the profession
• be willing to fulfil the duties of Life Fellowship.

Nomination Process

Nominators are asked to submit the following nomination form.

Nomination forms must be received by 14 October 2024 for consideration for the current year. Nomination forms are to be sent in confidence to the PRII CEO, Dr Martina Byrne, at [email protected].

Following receipt of the nominations, the PRII's Fellowship Sub- Committee will review the nominations.

The subcommittee consists of five upstanding individuals, chaired by Ita Gibney FPRII (Life), with a detailed knowledge of the public relations community and profession. They will undertake to ensure the standards of this professional distinction are upheld.

The Committee select up to a maximum of two candidates deemed eligible and propose them to National Council for Council to place before the members for vote at the next Annual General Meeting. It may also be that the Committee deem no nominee has met the criteria in a given year. Those nominees who are unsuccessful one year can re-apply another year.

The distinction of Honorary Life Member (known as The President's Medal) is bestowed on individuals whose lifetime contributions to excellence in communication sets a supreme example for PRII members and the profession. Recipients need not be members of the PRII.

Previous recipients include:

John Hume (1995) politician and later a co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize;

Ed Walsh (1996) educationalist and founding President of University of Limerick;

Gay Byrne (1999) broadcaster;

Mary Davis (2007) advocate and CEO of Special Olympics World Summer Games.

Orla Tinsley (2019) Cystic Fibrosis campaigner.

The recipient of PRII Honorary Life Membership will either have demonstrated an exceptional level of communications proficiency in any sphere of activity in Irish life or will be an Irish citizen working at an influential level in an international communications capacity.

The designation of Honorary Life Membership is bestowed very rarely in recognition of the truly outstanding nature of the recipient’s inspiring contribution to communications.

Honorary Life Membership is as the title suggests - for life. There is no annual subscription for Honorary Life Members.

Deserving candidates for Honorary Life Membership will be nominated by the PRII President for consideration by the National Council. Suggestions from members for those that should be considered are welcome and will be kept in confidence. The awarding of this honour requires the unanimous approval of the National Council.

Recipients of the Honorary Life Membership shall receive the President’s Medal at a ceremony to mark the occasion.