Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I am happy to brief the House. There has been significant progress made in recent months. We have been examining the detailed arrangements and, with everything we have seen, the introduction of a postcode system makes more sense. There would be huge efficiencies and cost savings for postal service providers and huge benefits in public service administration and for other users. My preference, as I have said publicly on a number of occasions, is to adopt the advice given by the group established to examine this issue which is to have an alphanumeric solution which would give memorability but which would also, critically, gives us the capability of having a single house identifier, whereby one would have a unique location code for a particular house, not just an area-based system. The exact mechanism or way of doing this will be determined following a procurement process which will be launched within weeks. It will follow the usual procedure for a pre-request for tenders process, an initial phase when we will seek broad statements of interest. It will be followed by a more detailed final procurement process, leading to the introduction of the postcodes towards the end of next year or early in the following year. The process is on track. Huge benefits are starting to accrue and the more we look at it, the more it makes sense to do it. Critically, it will have a unique location code, as well as a general area detail to it. I am keen to progress it as quickly as possible.