Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 298: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way in which he proposes to combat junk mail in the event of the introduction of postcodes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34710/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I am favourably disposed towards the introduction of postcodes because of the case made that a national postcode system would offer significant potential benefits for the postal business, public utilities, businesses in general and consumers, and would facilitate the provision of a wider range of services to them.

In regard to junk mail, An Post is statutorily obliged under section 12 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983 to satisfy all reasonable demands for postal services throughout the State. The public receives a wide variety of mail from a number of sources, some of which could be regarded as unsolicited mail, including unaddressed mail material, which may also be delivered by operators other than An Post. An Post itself provides two services called Postaim and Publicity Post Material that allow businesses to address correspondence about their products and services directly to individuals or, alternatively, to have unaddressed publicity brochures delivered to houses in a particular area.

Measures are already in place to manage the impact of direct mailing. Under section 2(7) of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, individuals have the right to request that they be removed from any direct mailing lists used by businesses. Householders also have the option of limiting the amount of unsolicited mail they receive by completing a mailing preference service form requesting that their names be removed from mailing lists controlled by members of the Irish Direct Marketing Association. The form, available from post offices, goes directly to the association and only applies to addressed mail sent by their members. It has no bearing on mail from any other source or unaddressed mail. This will continue to be the position in the event of the introduction of postcodes.