Fine Gael TD for Cork North West, Aine Collins, has welcomed the
announcement by the Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, that a
competitive tendering process is now at its final stage and that,
after his Department considers the tenders received by interested
parties, a definitive decision should be made in September.
“I was very pleased to hear that Minister Rabbitte’s plans to
introduce national postcodes are at an advanced stage. In this day and
age, it is absurd that every town and village outside of Dublin does
not have a postcode.
“This is a significant development which is long overdue. Not only
will it ensure that mistakes, such as an ambulance being sent to a
town in the wrong county which recently led to a tragic and
unnecessary loss of life, will not be made, but it will also have a
major impact on businesses in the country.
“Postcodes can reduce the cost of doing business through supply-chain
benefits and lower administration, but they can also bring wider
societal and economic benefits. These include; improved spatial data
analysis, which will enable the health service with planning and
population research; the provision of information to plan for new
infrastructure and other Government expenditure; and improving
charities’ abilities to profile the most appropriate target audience.
“I welcome this initiative and I look forward to hearing about the
next stage in this process once the tenders are submitted in August
and Minister Rabbitte brings a comprehensive proposal to the
Government for approval in September.”
