Eircode launch
The Republic of Ireland’s new Eircode postcode system has been launched today (13 July), with every house in Ireland getting a unique seven-digit identifying code.
The Eircode website has also gone live. Members of the public can use the website to look up addresses – but they are limited to a maximum of 15 searches a day.
As previously reported, the new Eircode has its supporters but it has also attracted criticism from the transport industry, and from the Freight Transport Association of Ireland in particular.
The FTAI is continuing to voice its dissatisfaction, with General Manager Neil McDonnell saying in an interview with RTE News today that it does not meet the needs of the parcel and package industry.
Meanwhile, Conradh na Gaeilge, the “democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community” has called on the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Alex White “to rectify the thousands of gaps and inaccuracies as regards addresses in Irish in the database”.
According to Conradh na Gaeilge : “Up to 50,000 place names are inaccurate or completely missing from the database in use by the Eircode system, but despite this, and despite €27 million having been allocated to the new postcode system, the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources is accepting the deficient postcode system and is refusing to fund a proposal to correct the database.”
Others are saying that the new system does represent a move forward, although there will be teething problems at the start.
