For the past year or so NPAS have made an IR a requirement for new pilots.
Yes. Existing pilots won't be required to get one though as NPAS can't afford to pay for the training.
I suppose that the increasing transit distances to jobs will make an IR a handy thing to have if the weather closes in on the way home. There were a few times when it would have been nice to climb up instead of groping along near minimums.