1. NAME:

The name of the body is the Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association (hereafter referred to as IDEA).

2. MAIN OBJECT:

IDEA is an Irish organisation established by health professionals seeking to promote the right to health and peaceful co-existence worldwide.

The main object for which the body is established is to foster and promote, through education, publications and seminars, a concept of health as a state of physical, psychological and social well-being, which acknowledges the potential impact of environmental conditions, violent conflict, and inequalities within and between nations on that well-being.

3. SUBSIDIARY OBJECTS:

In furtherance exclusively of the foregoing main object, the body shall have the following subsidiary objects:

3.1 To bring into membership Irish health professionals, including students and others sympathetic to its objects.

3.2 To affiliate and collaborate with like minded organisations, both nationally and internationally.

3.3 To become a recognised authority on the issues noted above, and to share this knowledge and expertise.

3.4 Environmental conditions and change:

3.4.1 To seek to understand and demonstrate the impact of environmental conditions, and of changes in those conditions, on health.

3.4.2 To advocate and support environmental policies which promote health.

3.5 Economic change:

3.5.1 To seek to understand and demonstrate the impact of economic inequalities and change upon health.

3.5.2 To advocate and support economic policies which promote health.

3.6 Ethical Responsibilities:

3.6.1 To foster in our own practice and in that of other health professionals, an active concern for the relief of suffering, for the promotion of human rights and for opposition to any application of medical science or practice which threatens these principles.

3.6.2 To advocate the abolition of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

3.6.3 To propose the re-allocation of resources now devoted to armaments to the promotion of health.

3.6.4 IDEA endorses the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. IDEA also endorses WHO's 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care.

4. POWERS:

To the extent that the same are essential or ancillary to the promotion of the main object of the body as heretofore set out, the body may exercise the following powers:

a) To raise funds

b) To apply for grants

c) To do all such things as may be necessary for or ancillary to the furtherance of the main object.

5. RULES:

5.1 STATUS:

IDEA shall be an independent and sovereign voluntary organisation subject only to its Constitution and decisions made in accordance with its Constitution.

5.2 MEMBERSHIP:
There shall be three classes of membership:

5.2.1 Full membership shall be open to health professionals, and to scientists and registered students in the field of health care.

5.2.2 Associate membership shall be open to individuals sympathetic to IDEA's objectives and acceptable to the Executive Committee.

5.2.3 Corporate Membership shall be open to national/regional bodies within Ireland, sympathetic to IDEA's objectives, and acceptable to the Executive Committee.

5.3 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS:

5.3.1 There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year, held within six months of the end of IDEA's financial year.

5.3.2 All full and associate members and one representative of each corporate member may attend these meetings and full members may vote.

5.3.3 AGMs will:

a) Receive and approve reports and accounts.

b) Appoint auditors as proposed by the Executive Committee

c) Conduct appointments and elections.

d) Determine membership fees.

e) Consider resolutions.

f) Consider Executive Committee proposals for the termination of membership of any members other than on the grounds of failure to pay subscriptions or fees.

g) Consider Constitutional amendments.

5.4 The Executive Committee will give a minimum of six weeks notice to all members of the date and time of an AGM.

5.5 Voting will be on the basis of one vote for each member present with decisions determined by a simple majority of those voting, excluding abstentions, except that:

5.5.1 Proxy votes on resolutions but not amendments will be allowed.

5.5.2 Amendments to this constitution and decisions related to standing orders shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting.

5.5.3 A resolution that a matter should be deferred for decision by postal ballot shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting.

5.5.4 A two-thirds majority of those voting shall be required for a decision to consider any resolution, which has not been circulated to members as much as two weeks before the AGM.

5.6 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS:

5.6.1 Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) to consider IDEA's business shall be held by decisions of the Executive Committee or at the request of five local groups or twenty-five percent of the total membership. In the latter case, the EGM will be held within three months of the request's receipt.

5.6.2 The clauses above relating to the business of AGMs, 5.3 and 5.4 shall apply to EGMs.

5.7 STANDING ORDERS:

The Executive Committee may propose to an AGM standing orders compatible with this constitution for the conduct of AGMs and EGMs.

5.8 OTHER GENERAL MEETINGS:

5.8.1 The Executive Committee shall arrange other General Meetings of members to discuss issues.

5.8.2 Such meetings shall not be governed by the rules/clauses related to AGMs and EGMs and shall not usually consider formal resolutions.

5.9. HONORARY OFFICERS

5.9.1 The AGM may appoint one or more patrons who will become, if they are not already, full members of IDEA.

5.9.2 The AGM will annually elect, from IDEA's membership, a chair, two vice-chairs, an honorary secretary, a treasurer and a student representative, who will thereby become members of the Executive Committee.

5.10. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

5.10.1 The Executive Committee shall meet at least five times a year. This may include meetings conducted over the telephone.

5.10.2 Its membership shall comprise:

5.10.2.1 The elected honorary officers.

5.10.3 Members of the Executive Committee are prohibited from standing for election for more than four consecutive years in the same post.

5.10.4 The Executive Committee may call within six months of the AGM a strategic planning meeting to which all IDEA members will be invited.

5.10.5 The Executive Committee shall be responsible to the membership for:

a) Developing and implementing strategies setting priorities and implementing policies and other decisions made by Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings and the strategic planning meeting.

b) Making decisions on IDEA's general administration, including its membership, management, finances, offices, establishment and personnel.

5.10.6 In pursuit of IDEA's objects, the Executive Committee may:

a) Approve or reject membership applications.

b) Propose levels of subscriptions and fees to AGM.

c) Terminate the membership of those whose subscriptions have not been made six months after they are due.

d) Recognise local groups.

e) Invest IDEA's funds.

f) Establish sub-committees, study groups and other bodies.

g) Affiliate IDEA to appropriate national and international bodies.

h) Appoint staff.

5.11 QUORA:

5.11.1 The quorum for an AGM or EGM shall be thirty percent of members.

5.11.2 The quorum for an executive Committee shall be four.

5.12 NATIONAL/REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

IDEA members in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland may form independent national/regional associations.

5.13 LOCAL GROUPS:

5.13.1 IDEA members, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, should be encouraged to form and maintain local groups.

5.13.2 Such local groups will undertake activities, including publicity, fund raising and research, compatible with IDEA's aims and objects and programme and shall receive such services including grants as the Executive Committee shall from time to time decide.

5.14 DISSOLUTION:

IDEA may be dissolved by resolution passed by a two-third majority of those voting, excluding abstentions at an AGM or EGM or, should such a meeting prove inquorate, by Executive Committee decision.

6. INCOME AND PROPERTY:

The income and property of the body shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its main objective as set forth in this Constitution. No portion of the body’s income and property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise however by way of profit to the members of the Association. No Officer shall be appointed to any office of the body paid by salary or fees, or receive any remuneration or other benefit in money or money’s worth from the body. However, nothing shall prevent any payment in good faith by the body of:

6.1 Reasonable and proper remuneration to any member of the body (not being an Officer) for any services rendered to the body;

6.2 Interest at a rate not exceeding 5% per annum on money lent by Officers or other members of the body to the body;

6.3 Reasonable and proper rent for premises demised and let by any member of the body (including any Officer) to the body;

6.4 Reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Officer in connection with their attendance to any matter affecting the body;

6.5 Fees, remuneration or other benefits in money or money’s worth to any Company of which an Officer may be a member holding not more than one hundredth part of the issued capital of such Company.

7 WINDING-UP:

If on winding-up or dissolution of the body there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid or distributed among the members of the body. Instead, such property shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having main objectives similar to the main objectives of the body. The institution or institutions to which the property is to be given or transferred shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent as great as is imposed on the body under or by virtue of Clause 6 hereof. Members of the body shall select the relevant institution or institutions at or before the time of dissolution, and if and so far as the effect cannot be given to such provisions, then the property shall be given or transferred to some charitable objective.

8. ADDITIONS, ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS:

No addition, alteration or amendment shall be made to or in the provisions of this Constitution for the time being in force unless the same shall have been previously approved in writing by the Revenue Commissioners.

9. KEEPING OF ACCOUNTS:

Annual audited accounts shall be kept and made available to the Revenue Commissioners on request.