Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
223. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps a person (details supplied) can take in a situation in which a person does not have an allocated Eircode and therefore cannot obtain a broadband connection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18351/21]
View answer282. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a monthly update of the Eircode system will be put in place in order to speed up the allocation of Eircodes to new postal addresses in order that they can connect to fibre broadband (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20354/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 282 together.
Capita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, was awarded a 10 year contract in December 2013 to develop, implement, maintain and promote the National Postcode System "Eircode".
Eircodes are assigned to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory, a subsidiary company of An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland, issue a new release of the GeoDirectory database file on a quarterly basis to Eircode in accordance with their licence agreement.
Each new postal address assigned an Eircode is published on the free to use Eircode Finder website, a notification letter is issued to the property occupant containing the Eircode of that address and an updated Eircode Database is provided to licenced businesses for their use. Eircode have informed my Department that over 139,000 property addresses have been assigned an Eircode since the launch in 2015.
Once the Eircode database is updated on a quarterly basis it is then a matter for individual Eircode database providers to release updates to commercial businesses in accordance with the terms of their licence agreements.
Householders who have queries on how to get an Eircode for their property can contact Eircode at hello@eircode.ie or Customer Service on 0818 300 005.
Early assignment of Eircodes is contingent on An Post facilitating the increased frequency of new and changed addresses in the GeoDirectory database from quarterly to monthly to Eircode through their subsidiary An Post GeoDirectory. My officials are working with An Post, Ordnance Survey Ireland, An Post GeoDirectory and Eircode to expedite the process of assigning Eircodes for new properties with postal addresses and geo-locations.
