code . ▁A part ▁from ▁routing ▁keys ▁corresponding ▁to ▁the ▁previous ▁Dublin ▁postal ▁districts , ▁the ▁initial ▁letters ▁of ▁E ir code ▁routing ▁keys ▁bear ▁no ▁relation ▁to ▁either ▁the ▁English ▁language ▁or ▁Irish ▁language ▁place ▁names ▁within ▁these ▁areas . ▁ ▁Pre par ation ▁for ▁a ▁post code ▁In ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁liberal isation ▁of ▁postal ▁services ▁and ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁An ▁Post ' s ▁mon opol y , ▁Com Reg , ▁the ▁Communic ations ▁Reg ulator ▁in ▁Ireland , ▁began ▁considering ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁post codes . ▁A ▁Post code ▁Working ▁Group ▁met ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁report ▁recomm ending ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁a ▁post code ▁system . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁Minister ▁for ▁Communic ations , ▁No el ▁D emp sey , ▁in ▁a ▁government ▁press ▁release ▁announced ▁that ▁post codes ▁would ▁be ▁introduced ▁in ▁Ireland ▁by ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁National ▁Statistics ▁Board ▁issued ▁a ▁report ▁wel coming ▁the ▁decision ▁and ▁making ▁recommend ations ▁as ▁to ▁its ▁implementation . ▁They ▁supported ▁a ▁point - based ▁post code ▁system ▁that ▁used ▁grid ▁reference / G PS ▁technology ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁relatively ▁clear - cut , ▁low ▁cost ▁approach ▁to ▁alloc ating ▁a ▁post code ▁to ▁an ▁address . ▁This ▁avoid s ▁trying ▁to ▁group ▁households ▁together ▁into ▁small ▁area ▁clusters . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁post codes ▁would