Eircode, the new location codes for Irish addresses, has been launched this week by Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte. At the launch in Dublin, he said that a publicly-owned postcode system was a key piece of modern national infrastructure. "As Eircode will be unique to each individual address, it will easily link with databases, online maps, satnavs and smart phones," said Rabbitte. "It will bring significant opportunities and benefits to the public, business and government. The Eircode brand and design are tangible signs of the considerable amount of work that Capita, which has a ten-year contract to implement and manage the Eircode system, has done over the last number of months.” In Spring 2015, every Irish address will get a unique code which, the Government says, will bring benefits in terms of efficient delivery of social services such as healthcare and emergency services to people in rural areas where 30% of addresses are non-unique. Rabbitte admitted that the application of a unique identifier to every home in the country would also benefit the Revenue Commisioners and other State agencies, making it easier to collect taxes and charges such as water charges. He added that the system would bring Ireland in line with international norms and make it easier for the emergency services to locate people, particularly in rural areas. The Eircode project is scheduled to be fully in place by this time next year. A total of 2.2 million addresses will be assigned a seven-digit code free of charge, with no requirement by householders to change their address. Each address will be given a seven-digit number, which will be composed of two parts. The first three digits are the 'routing key', which will identify the area where the address is located. This will be shared by many properties in the same area. The second part is four characters long and provides the 'unique identifier' that will pinpoint the exact address. Existing Dublin postal districts will be retained. Each address and its code will be stored in a central Postcode Address Database (PAD). Access to the geo-coordinates associated with this code will allow quick mapping of the code’s location on a variety of technology platforms and devices including computers, tablets, mobile phones, in-car satnavs and other mapping software systems. Eircode has involved expenditure of €25 million over ten years and Minister Rabbitte stressed that at least half of this investment would go towards the improvement of public service databases, bringing "long-term efficiencies and savings in the delivery of public services". The Minister also launched the Eircode website, where further information on the design of the code is available.