More & More Reports of Eircodes with Wrong Location on Google Maps

 After related negotiations & agreement, in 2016, Eircode first passed the Eircode location database to Google Maps who implemented it so that you can search for an Eircode. It was then announced by those behind Eircode that Google Maps fully supports Eircode. This is not entirely true:-

• The official address information that goes with an Eircode was not shared with Google Maps (Licensing issues) As a result, when you enter an Eircode in Google Maps, the address displayed can differ greatly from the correct address. This can cause confusion, especially for tourists and visitors to your area and in some cases people abort using as they are unsure if the code is correct
• As is the norm with all Google Map content databases, they only update every 2 years or so. The last update was in June 2019 after more than 2 years and that is now just over 1 yer old. This means that new and corrected codes issued during that 2(+) year period do not make it Google Maps. At any one time 10's of 1000's of new and corrected Eircodes can be missing from Google maps.

It is regrettable that those behind Eircode do not explain this fully to the public as Google Maps themselves have made no claims in relation to the code whatsoever. It was those responsible for Eircode who negotiated and agreed the current arrangements with Google Maps. It is also regrettable that when the public realise these issues and raise them with Eircode (Capita) they are directed to Google Maps themselves to resolve them, even though Eircode knows exactly what the issues and solutions are. They seem to take no responsibility.

As more people check their code, as we recommend and support here, more and more find that their Eircode is missing from Google Maps, is pointing to the wrong location or it mis-routes.  With respect to the Eircode pointing to the wrong location people should be aware of the following:

• There are many examples of an Eircode being simply wrong or delivered to the wrong door from the outset
  
• Eircode has no process to check codes before or after delivery and that is why we offer that service here
  
• Even if the problem is identified there is no official process established for reporting or handling Eircode errors
  
• If not sorted, it could result in an ambulance at worst or courier deliveries at best going to the wrong door
  

So who should you report it to? Well if your Eircode is showing at the wrong location, the the problem is not caused by Google Maps as they just display what is given to them by Eircode. Therefore, you should report the problem to Eircode themselves. In the 1st instance you can try emailing [email protected] and if that does not get a response, as seems to happen in many cases, then the best solution is to contact your local TD.
If Eircode accpet your corrcetion, then it can take months for An Post to correct their offical records and to issue an update. However, even after those months it can take up to 2 years before Google Maps apply the update.

In the meantime you can "add a missing place" or "correct a map error" to Google Maps and just add your Eircode as if it were a word in your address. However, you should realise that if you have not contacted Eircode and the next update is applied to Google Maps, then any correction that you have achieved could be over written. It is, therefore, vital that you contact Eircode to have all errors corrected.

This is all very unsatisfactory and can cause a lot of confusion.