5 Samh 2014, 12:16
The new postcode system for Ireland as currently proposed will be practically useless to those in the freight and logistics industry, an Oireachtas Committee was told this morning.
5 November 2014
Representatives from the Freight Transport Association of Ireland were appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications to discuss their concerns in relation to the proposed Eircode postcode system. Department of Communications officials are expected before the Committee in the coming weeks to respond to the issues raised.
They said that the unique identifiers proposed for every home and business in the country would not be sequential, meaning that neighbouring addresses would have completely different codes under the proposed system.
Chairman of the Committee John O’Mahony TD says: “A new smart postcode system for Ireland is expected to be launched early next year. Committee Members took on board the concerns of the freight transport representatives that the opportunity for Ireland to implement a world class postcode system, that could also be used to boost efficiency in the logistics industry might be lost. It appears that the nub of the problem is the lack of adjacency in the unique postcodes, meaning that transport companies will not be able to use the information in any meaningful way in route planning.
“With the utility of such a system in question, the Committee is also seriously concerned at the cost to the Exchequer, and to small businesses. We look forward to raising these concerns with officials from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who are scheduled to appear before us in two weeks’ time.”
ENDS
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Committee on Transport and Communications
Deputies: John O’Mahony (Chair), Michael Colreavy, Timmy Dooley, Dessie Ellis, Tom Fleming, Brendan Griffin, Noel Harrington, Seán Kenny, Éamonn Maloney, Helen McEntee, Michael Moynihan, Patrick O’Donovan and Mick Wallace
Senators: Sean D. Barrett, Terry Brennan, Éamonn Coghlan, Paschal Mooney, Ned O’Sullivan and John Whelan