Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on An Post's geodirectory; his further views on the different technologies available for postcodes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3423/10]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the rationale behind the postal code system that he is proposing to introduce here; the timescale and cost for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3339/10]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the cost of the introduction of the proposed postal code system here; the way it will be funded; if it will be implemented by 2011; the cost impact assessment the introduction of postcodes will have on business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3405/10]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the possible introduction of postcodes; his views on the benefits of postcodes; the amount spent on postcodes to date; the estimated full cost; the way in which it will be self-financing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3416/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the cost of the introduction of post codes; the way in which this will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3821/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 117, 129, 138 and 527 together.

The Government has approved the implementation of a national postcode system for Ireland as recommended by the National Postcode Project Board. For any developed country, a postcode system is a key piece of national infrastructure that can deliver economic and social benefits across the whole economy. Ireland is the only country in the EU that does not have such a code in place.

Consultations conducted by the National Postcode Project Board's advisors revealed an overwhelming support for the introduction of postcodes across public, private and voluntary sectors and identified that postcodes would not only deliver benefits for the postal sector but also would contribute to the development of a knowledge economy and the country's overall competitiveness.

With respect to the postal sector, the forthcoming liberalisation of the market in 2011 has highlighted the absence of a postcode as a potential barrier to market development and many stakeholders see postcodes as playing an important role in development of a competitive, high-quality postal sector.

However, some of the more significant benefits of having a postcode in place will materialise outside of the postal and logistics sectors. These benefits include providing an enhanced capacity and capability to use spatial data effectively and link databases with spatial elements across Government. Using spatial data more effectively can improve public policy making and help with the more effective use of resources. Postcodes will also facilitate better location-based services and will also facilitate the speedier deployment of emergency services.

As regards costs, the National Postcodes Project Board's report in 2006 estimated upfront costs of establishing a postcode address database, implementing and promoting the postcode would be in the region of €15m. This cost is to be met by the Exchequer. The Board was assisted in its work by technical and economic consultants, recruited and funded in 2005 by ComReg, at a cost of approximately €479,000.

Following a Government decision in May 2007, consultants were asked to review and quantify the public sector benefits of introducing postcodes. They estimated the monetary benefits to the State would be €22 million in the medium term. This analysis incurred fees of €54,450 and in its assessment, incorporated similar costs for the postcodes project as the National Postcodes Project Board. The ongoing annual maintenance costs will be financed from revenues generated by the postcode manager charging for value added products and services. The relevant reports are available on my Department's website at www.dcenr.ie.

Postcodes will bring opportunities for many across the whole economy, and while there may also be some costs for businesses in updating large address databases, or for An Post incorporating postcodes into its existing operations, most stakeholders consulted, who were in favour of postcodes, said that they would immediately implement them implying that any costs incurred in updating their databases, would be outweighed by the benefits.

The National Postcodes Project Board, which was established to recommend the most appropriate postcode system for Ireland, recommended an alpha-numeric, publicly available and accessible postcode model. Each postcode would have a geo-coordinate at its centre and consequently would be compatible with global positioning or navigation systems and would be adaptable to the emerging technological and legal environment.

I do not propose to comment specifically an An Post's Geodirectory as a product per se, but it should be noted that the Geodirectory is not a publicly available postcode system and is a commercial, proprietary, address database, thus failing one of the criteria for a public postcode.

My officials and I are now working to address the next steps in the postcodes project, including the process of selection of a body to implement the proposed system which will be done by way of an open, competitive process. It is expected that postcodes will be assigned and in use during 2011.