Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I launched the Eircode brand for a national postcode system on 28 April. In spring 2015, every Irish address will get a unique code, which will bring many benefits to the daily lives of people, householders and businesses. Since a contract to deliver the project was signed with Capita, considerable progress has been made on design and engagement with public and private sector stakeholders who see significant benefits and opportunities arising from the introduction of Eircodes. An Post has been actively involved in the design process for the national postcode system and is committed to using the new Eircodes, which will be fully integrated with An Post's mails sortation systems. Any integration cost will be part of An Post's overall capital expenditure programme.

An Post's mails integration costs are not included in the predicted €26 million Exchequer cost of introducing a national postcode system. At least half of this €26 million investment will go towards the improvement of public service databases, bringing considerable long-term efficiencies and savings in the delivery of public services. Regarding An Post's costs, the CEO has stated that it will cost €1 million to install new software in the four mails sortation centres. The benefits of Eircodes to An Post will significantly outweigh any cost arising from their implementation. The national postcode system will facilitate improved efficiencies and quality improvements in the mails sector and provide a stimulus to mail volumes through improved marketing capabilities.

Parcel and mail deliveries from An Post and other delivery and logistics companies will be able to use the new postcode system to identify quickly the location of a single house set in the countryside or an apartment in a newly developed multi-storey. The Eircode will integrate with GPS devices and smartphones and can be easily mapped onto any defined national boundary set, such as counties, electoral districts and small areas.

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