Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 December 2013
90. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he intends to introduce the postcode system; when is it expected to come into full operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52081/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is the only country in the OECD that does not have a national post code system. On the 8th October 2013, I announced that the Government had approved, subject to contract, the rollout of a new national postcode system that will provide a unique seven character code to every letter-box in the State by 2015.The Government also approved, subject to contract, the appointment of Capita Business Support Service Ireland Limited as the company which will develop, roll-out and operate the Postcode System. This company will operate the postcode under license for an initial ten year period extendable at the discretion of the Minister for Communications by a further five years. Under the new system, Ireland will have a public database of unique identifiers for all addresses in the State.
Householders will be informed of their postcode in early 2015 and the system will come into operation then. In the meantime the groundwork required to design the code and update private and public sector databases to accommodate the new postcode system will be undertaken.
I hope to announce further details of the new system shortly when the contract is finalised.
