The Sweeneys from Boradruma, Castlebar, are one step ahead of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan — in the wake of his recent announcement that postcodes will be introduced to Ireland by 2011 — as the family have already been using their own postcode for years.
Ernie Sweeney explained that while listening to a radio debate about the introduction of postcodes his wife, Susanna, turned to him and said “sure I’ve been using a postcode for years!” According to Mr Sweeney, both his wife and daughter Tara, who lives in Turlough, devised a personal postcode which they constantly use and is particularly effective ordering parcels from the internet.
By creating a postcode from the phone area code and then numeric digits personalised to each, they have come up with a system which has “proven to work” and Mr Sweeney thinks that everyone should be able to devise their own codes instead of the Government wasting €10 million to €15 million.
Meanwhile Deputy Michael Ring, Fine Gael Spokesperson for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has welcomed the news of the introduction of post codes which “was one of the many issues raised on the doorsteps during the local election campaign canvass.”
It is expected that the new postal codes with digits and letters will be introduced in 2011.
