The Irish government has just released a postcode system for Ireland - to be called Eircode. Up until now, the country did not operate one. However there are some interesting aspects to the postcodes. First, it is for every individual address in the State. The code comprises of a routing key and then a unique identifier. But here's the kicker; the routing key isn't directly related to towns or counties (similar in system to that used for phone number prefixes). While the system provides spare capacity for future growth in different areas (a problem with some current postcodes), it will not help 'locate' an address based on where it is on a road or to significantly narrow down the area. The applications to emergency services will therefore be dependent on their buying into the system and the methods they have in place to update the database. As many addresses in Ireland are non-unique, this may solve some of the issues with logistics but the lack of openness may hamper its wider appeal.
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