Ireland’s newly generated national postcode service will launch today.
First proposed more than a decade ago, Ireland’s 2.2 million homes and businesses are expected to be assigned individual seven-digit ‘Eircodes’, latter which they will receive through the post in the weeks ahead.
This new Eircode system will be optional and homes do not have to use their codes if they don’t want to and the system will not eliminate any existing lines in addresses. To date this optional service has cost the tax payer €27m to devise and is aimed at reducing the confusion surrounding non-unique addresses.
Those opposed to this new Eircode system claim that it will lead to encouraging further crime; by identifying individual houses online which are known to be vacant, due to normal inhabitants being on holiday, attending funerals, weddings etc. [ See https://finder.eircode.ie/#/ to find your house and check your personal Eircode.]. Other critics state that same is just part of the present governments intended future strategy in relation to Property Tax and Water Charge collection and is once again money poorly spent during recessionary times.
Tipperary’s codes will start with the letter E while Clare will start with V and Wexford Y.
Consultancy firm Capita won the tender to produce the code, outbidding our own An Post and Satnav firms state that their devices can’t use the new system. Couriers are refusing to have anything to do with it because the numbers defining individual properties are random and not consecutive like they are in every other country that uses post codes. Some areas are reported to be positioned in the wrong county, but no doubt same will be changed for another €27m.
Will it turn out to be another ‘Irish Water’ making us the laughing stock of Europe? Who knows, but all 2.2 million Irish properties are expected to be mailed their individual codes during the coming weeks.
Meanwhile this may now explains the latest Fine Gael joke:
Q: Have you heard about Supermacs new “Enda Kenny Value Meal”?
A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it.
My Address is Bushfield, Nenagh, Tipperary.