Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The design of the Eircode followed a public procurement process. During that process a range of options for the postcode structure were evaluated. That evaluation process, together with stakeholder engagement which preceded the procurement, helped inform the format of the Eircode design. In accordance with the terms of the contract for the development and implementation of the project, a more detailed design report, including the criteria which informed the detailed design, was prepared by Capita, the Postcode contractor. In order to ensure that contractual obligations had been satisfied, the design report was reviewed by the company referred to in the Question who were awarded the contract, following a procurement process, to provide technical advice and support services to my Department in the implementation phase of the project. Following that review, the final Eircode design was approved by Government in April, 2014.