Postal Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Questions (189)

Holly Cairns

Question:

189. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to ensure that new eircodes are added to applications (details supplied) and other common navigating tools in a timely manner. [13227/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Capita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, assigns Eircodes to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on all new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Tailte Éireann (formerly Ordnance Survey Ireland) provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory (APG), a subsidiary company of An Post and Tailte Éireann, issue a new release of database files monthly to Capita in accordance with their revised licence agreement.

The Eircode Finder, is a free to use website that members of the public and businesses use to find Eircodes for addresses and to get directions to address locations using the Eircode website like a SatNav.

Each new postal address assigned an Eircode is published monthly on the Eircode Finder website, a notification letter is issued to the property occupant containing the Eircode of that address and an updated Eircode Database and file is provided to licenced businesses for their use. Since launch over 208,360  property addresses have been assigned an Eircode.

Capita have informed my Department that once the Eircode database is updated they provide updates to commercial operations on a monthly and quarterly basis in line with the terms of their licence agreements. The timely release of each monthly and quarterly update is consistent across all licenced businesses, including the applications referred to by the Deputy. Capita are liaising with the relevant organisations on the issue raised.

Operational matters and commercial decisions of private commercial operators, including the updating of their applications, are a matter for these commercial operators and one in which I have no direct function.