Journal of Co-operative Studies 54(1), 25-37

Abstract

How did credit unions in Ireland move from the margins to become a nationally recognised movement? More generally, how do co-operatives promote their economic and organisational models in the public sphere? This article examines the importance of having a supportive legislative environment to enable co-operative development. It does this by exploring Irish parliamentary debates on credit unions between 1959 and 1999, including the lobbying for and debates about the Credit Union Act, 1966, and the revised Credit Union Act, 1997. The article traces the shift in public debate from advocacy in the early years of the credit union movement to a more complex mixture of advocacy and critique in later decades. The article offers three contributions. First, not only is legislation important for helping the credit unions to grow, the wider debates about legislation play a crucial legitimising role. Second, the paper demonstrates a relatively rare example of successful lobbying by community activists. Finally, it underscores the importance of training and education in order to maintain public awareness of the co-operative economic and organisational model.

References

Ahearn, T. (1997, February 26). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/17/
 
Ahern, K. (1966, June 16). Credit Union Bill, 1966: Second stage. Seanad Éireann debate, 61(10), Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1966-06-16/8/
 
Ahern, N. (1998, February 18). Finance Bill, 1998: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 487(4). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1998-02-18/16/
 
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1991). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. Penguin Books.
 
Blaney, N. T. C. (1968, June 12). Fishery Harbour Centres Bill, 1967: Second stage. Seanad Éireann debate, 65(4). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1968-06-12/3/
 
Bruton, R. (1986, July 3). Written answers - Credit unions. Dáil Éireann debate, 368(10). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1986-07-03/44/
 
Byrne, H. (1997, March 6). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 476(1). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-03-06/5/
 
Calvano, L., & Andersson, L. (2010). Hitting the jackpot (or not): An attempt to extract value in Philadelphia's casino controversy. Organization, 17(5), 583-597.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508410372619

Connor, J. (1997, February 26). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/6/
 
Culloty, A. T. (1990). Nora Herlihy: Irish credit union pioneer. Irish League of Credit Unions. 

Dáil Éireann. (1997, February 26a). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/6/
 
Dáil Éireann (1997, February 26b). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann Debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/17/
 
Donegan, P.S. (1966, March 8). Committee on Finance - Credit Union Bill, 1966: Second stage. Dáil Éireann debate, 221(7). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1966-03-08/57/
 
Fairclough, I., & Fairclough, N. (2012). Political discourse analysis: A method for advanced students. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203137888

Farrell, S. (2019). Common bond as the essence of Irish Credit Unions. Commercial Law Practitioner, 26(6), 99-105.

Finucane, M. (1997, Febrary 26). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/6/
 
Flaherty, M. (1997, February 26). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-26/6/
 
Flanagan, S. (1966, June 16). Credit Union Bill, 1966: Second stage. Seanad Éireann debate, 61(10), Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1966-06-16/8/
 
Foley, D. (1997, February 25). Private Members' Business - Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(4), 25 Feb 1997. Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-25/22/
 
Gallagher, P. (1997, February 25). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(4). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02- 25/20/
 
Geoghegan-Quinn, M. (1978, November 8). Industrial and Provident Societies (Amendment) Bill, 1978: Committee stage. Seanad Éireann debate, 90(2), 8 Nov 1978. Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www. oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1978-11-08/7/

International Co-operative Alliance (2018). Co-operative identity and principles. https://www.ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity#education-training-and-information
 
Irish league of Credit Unions (2021). Key statistics. https://www.creditunion.ie/about-credit-unions/key-statistics/
 
Kelly, J. M. (1977, November 8). Industrial Development Bill, 1977: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 301(3). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1977-11-08/30/
 
Kitt, M. (1997, February 25). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second Stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(4). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-25/20/

Komito, L. (1984). Irish clientelism: A reappraisal. Economic & Social Review, 15(3), 173-194.
 
Lê, J. K. (2013). How constructions of the future shape organizational responses: climate change and the Canadian oil sands. Organization, 20(5), 722-742. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508413489817

Lowry, M. (1991, February 21). Sugar Bill, 1990: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 407(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1991-02-21/5/
 
Mangan, A. (2009). 'We're not banks': Exploring self-discipline, subjectivity and co-operative work. Human Relations, 62(1), 93-117. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726708099516

Mangan, A., & Byrne, A. (2018). Marginalising co-operation? A discursive analysis of media reporting on the Co-operative Bank. Organization, 25(6), 794-811. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508418763276

Meaney, T. J. V. (1972, May 2). Committee on Finance - Financial Resolution No.3: General (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 260(9). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-05-02/50/
 
Murray, J., & Flyverbom, M. (2020). Datafied corporate political activity: Updating corporate advocacy for a digital era. Organization, 28(4), 621-640. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508420928516

Murray, J., Nyberg, D., & Rogers, J. (2016). Corporate political activity through constituency stitching: Intertextually aligning a phantom community. Organization, 23(6), 908-931. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508416640924

Norton,W. (1963, November 27). Ceisteanna - Questions. Oral answers - Control of credit unions. Dáil Éireann debate, 206(2). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1963-11-27/41/
 
Nyberg, D., Spicer, A., & Wright, C. (2013). Incorporating citizens: Corporate political engagement with climate change in Australia. Organization, 20(3), 433-453. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508413478585

Ó Cuív, E. (1997, March 19). Private members' business - Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 476(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/ debates/debate/dail/1997-03-19/34/
 
O'Keefe, E. (1997, February 20). Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 475(3). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-02-20/24/
 
O'Malley, D. J. (1978, October 11). An Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta, 1978: Ordú don Dara Céim -Industrial and Provident Societies (Amendment) Bill, 1978: Second stage. Dáil Éireann debate, 308(1). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1978-10-11/31
 
O'Rourke, M. (1997, March 19). Private members' business - Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second tage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 476(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-03-19/34/
 
Özen, Ş., & Özen, H. (2009). Peasants Against MNCs and the State: The Role of the Bergama Struggle in the Institutional Construction of the Gold-Mining Field in Turkey. Organization, 16(4), 547-573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508409104508

Pattison, S. (1966, March 8). Committee on Finance - Credit Union Bill, 1966: Second stage. Dáil Éireann debate, 221(7). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1966-03-08/57/
 
Phillips, N. & Hardy, C. (2002). Discourse analysis: Investigating processes of social construction. Sage Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412983921

Quinlan, P. (1959, July 29). Industrial Credit (Amendment) Bill, 1959 - Second and subsequent stages. Seanad Éireann debate, 51(8). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1959-07-29/4/
 
Quinn, A. P. (1994). Credit unions in Ireland. Oak Tree Press.
 
Quinn, A. P. (1999). Credit unions in Ireland (Second ed.). Oak Tree Press.
 
Rabbitte, P. (1997, March 19). Private members' business - Credit Union Bill, 1996: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 476(5). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1997-03-19/34/
 
Ryan. J. (1963, October 29). Ceisteanna - Questions. Oral answers - Friendly societies. Dáil Éireann debate, 205(3). Houses of the Oireachtas.  https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1963-10-29/14/
 
Ryder, N. (2002). Credit unions and financial exclusion - the odd couple? Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 24(4), 423-434. https://doi.org/10.1080/0964906021000057173

Ryder, N. (2005). The shaping of credit union development: The identification of a typology of factors that have contributed towards credit union growth in the United States of America, Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. Journal of Co operative Studies, 38(1), 5-19.
 
Shrivastava, P., & Ivanova, O. (2015). Inequality, corporate legitimacy and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Human Relations, 68(7), 1209-1231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715579523

Stafford, J. (1989, March 8). Social Welfare Bill, 1989: Second stage (Resumed). Dáil Éireann debate, 388(1). Houses of the Oireachtas. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1989-03-08/20/
 
Woods, M. (1989, December 15). Adjournment of Dáil: Motion. Dáil Éireann debate, 394(7). Houses of the Oireachtas.  https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1989-12-15/7/
 
World Council of Credit Unions (2021). What is a credit union.   https://www.woccu.org/about/credit_unions