The Society of Chartered Surveyors headquarters is located at 5 Wilton Place in Dublin 2. It also has three active regions as follows:

• Southern Region, based in Cork
• Mid Western Region, based in Limerick
• Western Region, based in Galway

The Society of Chartered Surveyors is a company, limited by guarantee, but having no share capital and is a registered charity.

Like all companies, the Society is obliged to have directors and a company secretary. The directors are normally the Society’s officers as follows:

• President
• Senior Vice-President
• Junior Vice-President
• Honorary Treasurer
• Honorary Secretary

The company secretary is the Director General.

SCS Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the SCS is normally held in early May each year.  The AGM can be attended by all members of the Society to transact the ordinary business of the company including consideration of the Audited Accounts, the appointment of auditors and to vote on the nominations for SCS Officers and Council Members.

All members receive notice of the AGM at least 21 days in advance of the meeting, together with the audited accounts, an annual report outlining the activities of the Society for the previous year and inviting nominations for elections to the Council.

SCS Council
The SCS Council directs and manages the affairs of the Society and it meets at least three times per annum.  The function of the Council is to make decisions on matters of policy, which are then implemented by various subsidiary Divisions, Committees and Boards.  Decisions of the Council are by majority voting of those entitled to be present and vote at a meeting.

Representation on Council is from two sources, by direct election and by ex-officio representation, for example Honorary Officers and representatives from the various Divisions.

SCS Board of Directors
The SCS Board of Directors is comprised of the Officers of the Society including the President, Senior Vice-President, Junior Vice-President, Honorary Treasurer and the Honorary Secretary.  The Director General also attends all meetings of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors meets on a monthly basis and oversees the day-to-day administration of the Society in conjunction with the Director General and also deals with matters of general professional interests and concerns as they arise in between meetings of Council.

A Finance Advisory Group is a sub-group established to oversee the financial management of the Society.  The Honorary Treasurer normally chairs this group that reports directly on a quarterly basis to the Board of Directors.  The remit of the Finance Advisory Group is:

• Preparing an annual budget for the Board of Directors at least six months before the financial year end.
• Reviewing annually SCS membership subscriptions and making recommendations in relation to same.
• Monitoring of all SCS expenditure and recommending expenditure to the Board of Directors
• Monitoring of SCS staff remuneration
• Monitoring staff job descriptions and setting targets and objectives annually with DG
• Overseeing SCS auditors including fixing their remuneration
• Identification of additional revenue streams
• Overseeing the maintenance and development of the SCS premises
• Any other role as may be assigned from time to time by the Board of Directors

Education Board
The Education Board, chaired by Jim Gahan, reports to Council and deals with all matters relating to membership, examinations, entry to the profession and accreditation of courses etc. Membership of this Board is drawn from a wide cross-section of the Society in order to ensure adequate representation for all interests.

Research Board
The Research Board, currently chaired by Barry Smyth, has the function of allocating, by way of research grants and prizes, funds from investments and bequests presented to the Society for that purpose. Applications for grants to undertake research should be made to the Education Office in the Society of Chartered Surveyors.

Divisional Committees
In addition, there are the Divisional Committees for:

• Quantity Surveying
• General Practice/Valuation
• Building Surveying
• Planning & Development
• Geomatics

all of whom have a structure of Chair and Honorary Officers with other members being elected to the remaining positions. Each of the divisional committees also has representation from the other Divisions.

Young Chartered Surveyors
The Society caters for its younger members through the YCS group. The YCS plays an active role in the Society through its liaison with educational institutions and by assisting younger members in the process of qualifying as Chartered Surveyors.

Conservation Group
The Conservation Group oversees the provision of an annual course which leads to Grade III Conservation accreditation for successful course candidates.  Its objectives also include the following:

• the promotion of conservation within all divisions of the Society
• the issue of guidance notes and reports in relation to conservation issues
• the establishment of links with other conservation bodies, including those outside of Ireland
• the organisation of conservation-related CPDs and seminars

Professional Conduct Committee
The Society has a strict code of conduct set out in its Bye-Laws that all members must adhere to.

Where a complaint or allegation against a Member of a breach of the Bye-Laws or Regulations has been received, the Honorary Secretary shall, having sought such further clarification as he thinks requisite, inform the Member of the nature and details of the complaint of allegation and invite the Member to submit written observations or representations thereon.  If the Honorary Secretary is satisfied that prima facie a breach or the Bye-Law or Regulations has occurred he shall advise the Member that such complaints or     allegations will be investigated by the Professional Conduct Committee and notify the Member to submit any further written observations or representations to the Committee.

The Professional Conduct Committee is comprised of seven members of high standing within the Society.  Its remit is to investigate complaints or allegations against a member of unprofessional conduct or other breach of the Society Bye-Laws or the Regulations by him/her.

Generally, the committee may reject the complaint or allegations and acquit the member but if in its opinion the complaint or allegation is justified they may:-

1. reprimand the member or either separately or in addition,
2. require from him such reasonable undertaking (whether oral or written) not to continue or repeat the conduct complained of or alleged as appears to the Committee to be desirable or
3. refer the subject matter of the complaint or allegation to the Disciplinary Board as a formal charge.

SCS Staff
Council of the SCS appoints permanent and other staff as may be necessary for conducting the affairs of the Society. 

The Director General, Ciara Murphy, is responsible for the management and administration of all aspects of the Society resources in conjunction with the SCS Board of Directors.  The development of strategies to fulfill the primary objectives of the Society and implementation of policy is also within the Director General’s remit.