Post/Zip Codes in Ireland Almost

¶ … Post/Zip codes in Ireland

Almost all countries and cities across the world can be identified by some sort of postal or zip code. This is the result of a worldwide process starting during the 1960s, by which Post Offices began to automate their sorting offices. Postal codes allow packages and letters to reach their correct destination within a good time frame. This is particularly important in world where the postal service is increasingly burdened by postal items. Furthermore, despite the increase in the use of electronic mail and the Internet, the postal service and postal codes have also expanded to serve the direct mail market, emergency services, the economic and local government sectors. It also serves the online market, in terms of items that are sold from Internet shops, but that are shipped to customers. All of these sectors and markets are facilitated by postal and zip codes. Interestingly, Ireland is the last European country to begin the process of implementing postal codes. Plans to begin this process, starting early in the new millennium, began an intense debate around the issue. While some welcome postal codes for Ireland in terms of the various advantages for businesses and services, others have concerns regarding the preservation of the Irish names of cities and towns, and indeed preserving the constitutional use of the country's native language.

According to Etain Doyle, an Post -- the Post Office serving Ireland -- began to implement its automation program during the 1990s. By this time, the Office was using optical machine reaching technology (OCR). Consequently, an Post made the decision to dispense with public postal codes in favor of automated OCR readings. The problem with such readings is however that they are based upon the exact location of a specific address, but at the same time that not all addresses in Ireland are unique. Indeed, according to Doyle, there are some 40% of addresses in the country that are the same or similar to others in different locations. The problem with OCR readings is then mainly two-fold; that it is random, and that it does not automatically indicate the precise location of the address. Hence there is the potential for specific problems. Such as the timely and accurate delivery of postal items, and also for other sectors such as emergency services. To mitigate the associated problems, the decision has been made to implement postal codes in the country by the year 2011. This move has been welcomed by many, while others have some reservations, as mentioned above.

During a Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) Symposium on Postcodes in 2003, the implementation of postcodes in Ireland was proposed and the debate began. Those who believe that the implementation would be a positive change to facilitate postal delivery and other services within Ireland include Direct Marketing Consultants as well as managers of courier, emergency and business managers.

According to Ed Sawday, for example, direct marketing would be much facilitated by postal codes in Ireland. The direct marketing company Sky faced a considerable challenge in terms of its services between the UK and Ireland. Postcodes help to identify a specific number of households in a specific area of the country. Ireland did not have a system by means of which such identifications could be made. In direct marketing, postcodes help to provide consumers with relevant offers, opportunities and targeted posting. In order to overcome the problem, Sky was obliged to map the an Post Geo Directory onto its database, a lengthy and time-consuming process.

According to a press release by the company, DHL Express consider implementing postal codes in Ireland as holding great advantages for the more accurate and timely delivery of courier items. The press release notes that the new system, to be implemented from 2011, would increase the efficiency of businesses and public services along with postal services such as transportation, sortation, and delivery of parcels.

Another effect of postcodes is the ability to complete e-commerce transactions. Often Irish citizens are frustrated by the online market, in that a postal code is required to complete a transaction. Implementing postal codes would then enable those who wish to shop online to do so. A Business & Leadership report also notes that business would be considerably facilitate in Ireland and its relationship across the world when postal codes are implemented.

The report notes that the new system would consist of six-digit codes. Although the precise design was not finalized at the time of the report, it was considered likely that the system would use an alphanumerical system to implement the codes. Specifically, the report cites the words of John Whelan, the Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association (IEA), in promoting several business advantages of implementing the new system.

Mr. Whelan for example noted that the high-tech pharmaceutical industry would be facilitated in terms of clinical trials across the borders of the country. The industry would urgently need the correct address, which would be much facilitated by the postcode system. This advantage also extends to other import and export products as well as the world's track-and-trace system. In this way, according to Mr. Whelan, Ireland will be able to become a "smart" economy.

Opponents to postal codes for the country have voiced some possible disadvantages as well. These are listed by Etain Doyle, and include the significant cost attached to implementing a national postcode address file for the whole country. In addition, the cost of maintaining the file would also be significant, as Ireland's developments expand. Furthermore, customers would need to be advised of their postcodes and persuaded to use them, which would incur further costs. Mailing companies would also be faced with costs in terms of modifying the addresses in their databases. This is a significant argument against the mailing system, especially in the light of an Post's effort in updating its automatic sorting database in order to eliminate the difficulties mentioned above. This has raised questions about the need for Ireland to proceed with the costly implementation of postcodes.

Proponents however counter the cost argument with the benefits that will be involved. In addition to the business services mentioned above, the costs will eventually be offset by savings in terms of postal service users being able to maintain their databases in a more cost-effective way. Furthermore, the numerous benefits to both businesses and consumers serve to weigh more heavily than the cost of implementation and maintenance. The RTE Website concurs that a national postal code for Ireland would result in significant long-term savings that extend beyond postal services themselves.

Despite the obvious and well-highlighted benefits, however, some opponents remain unwilling to accept the change. In addition to their opposing arguments, persons such as Gary Delaney also suggest the use of already-implemented alternative coding systems in the country, such as PON codes. PON codes are Position Oriented Navigation codes, which appear in the form of seven character alphanumeric codes with a mathematical relationship to latitude and longitude. This immediately eliminates the problem of duplicate addresses, along with indicating the location of every address used.

Because of the non-unique address problem, a better system was proposed in 2005 by the Minister for Communications at the time, Noel Dempsey. The system was proposed for implementation by January 2008. Although this deadline has already passed, the PON system is showing promise as an alternative to the costly implementation of postal codes. This system was developed by GPS Ireland. It has a resolution of more or less six meters. It mathematically relates to the ITM grid, newly implemented for Ireland. This means that every property in the country has a potentially unique code, which greatly facilitates all national postal deliveries, emergency and other services.