I don't think anyone should hold an IR if they haven't been in cloud.
I agree 100% with the principle, but the problem is that most civilian heli training is done in R22/R44, including IR, and while the R44 (at least) can be fully equipped for IFR, it can't legally be flown in IMC. An IMC-legal heli is way more expensive to operate and most schools don't have them. So the only way to do this would be to do the IMC part in FW, which would pose a whole bunch of problems of its own. Flying a heli under the hood is a bit of a joke, imho - even with the Steampunk Francis Hood, you still have to work at it not to see outside.
Personally I rather like flying in IMC (FW), and much prefer it to the hood. But I 100% agree that it's a totally different experience. Also even for the most experienced pilot, it takes a few seconds to really change gear and get into full-on IMC mode, even when you're expecting it. (I'm not by any means "the most experienced pilot" but I've confirmed this in discussions with people who have reasonable claim to it).