Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

Deputies should be aware that Ireland is the only country in the EU which does not have a national postcode system. A system of postcodes is regarded internationally as a necessary element of a modern, efficient and competitive economy. The Commission for Communications Regulation, the remit of which includes postal services, produced a report following a consultative process in November 2003. The report, which is broadly in favour of the introduction of a postcode system, is a useful contribution to debate on the issue.

I am favourably disposed to the introduction of postcodes. The case has been made that a national postcode system would offer significant potential benefits for the postal business, public utilities, businesses and consumers. I established a working group comprised of people with experience of the postal sector and a representative of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which is the lead Department for the Irish spatial data infrastructure initiative, to consider the introduction of a postcode system in Ireland. This group produced its report earlier this year.

The report found that the introduction of a publicly available postcode could deliver many potential benefits. The purpose of a postcode system would be to improve efficiencies and quality in the postal sector, stimulate mail volume growth, assist utilities and emergency services, address the problem of non-unique addressing and facilitate competition by making it easier for new postal operators to enter the market. These improvements collectively will boost the country's competitiveness.

Following on from the recommendations of the working group report, consideration of the feasibility, design and implementation of a practical postcode project proposal will be advanced, including establishing the cost of implementing such a postcode and how that cost should be met. In accordance with the recommendation of the working group that project managers be appointed to lead the postcode project, I have asked the Commission for Communications Regulation to appoint the project managers. A national postcode project board, comprising representatives of Departments together with public and private sector organisations, will be appointed by me to assist the project managers with their work and to present a proposal describing in sufficient detail a model that is the most efficient, effective and publicly usable postcode system by 31 December 2005. I expect the new postcode system will be implemented by 1 January 2008.

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