Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the investment in the Eircode postal system has provided value for money; if it is operational with all emergency services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38995/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The cost of the contract with Capita, who were awarded a ten year licence to develop and maintain the postcode system, is €27m, excluding VAT (€33.2m including VAT).

The total spend to date on the postcodes project amounts to €19.5m, including VAT. Of this, Capita have been paid €17.5m on foot of delivery of agreed milestones. The bulk of this figure, €11.5 million, was spent on encoding public sector bodies' databases. Apart from payments to Capita, €2m has been spent on specialist costs arising in the period from 2009 to date.

Public sector bodies such as the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are already using the codes in day to day business. Capita has also signed up 21 Value Added Resellers who will develop products and services using the Eircode databases.

As the Eircodes were only launched in July, usage of the codes is only starting to become visible and it is too early to make a full evaluation of the project. However, based on engagement with public and private sector bodies during the development phase of the project, I am satisfied that, in time, as usage of Eircodes increases, they will support economic activity and deliver social benefits identified in the cost benefit analyses carried out for the project.

The Eircode is available to all emergency services at whatever stage their systems are ready to exploit the code. The licensing terms are being finalised between GeoDirectory and the National Ambulance Service which will facilitate the inclusion of Eircodes in their database.