Extend Eircodes to help emergency services

A local councillor has called for an extension of the Eircode system to cover specific parcels of land, such as farm fields and individual buildings, to improve emergency response times in rural areas.

Fianna Fáil’s John Paul Feeley tabled the motion at the November monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, echoing earlier calls from farming representative organisations. They are advocating for a digital area-identification system that would allow the police or emergency medical services to locate people precisely when needed.

Cllr Feeley highlighted the issue by referencing the recent tragic death of John “Johnny” Murray, who passed away on Cuilcagh Mountain in early September after experiencing a medical incident.

Mr Murray, a father of two from Roslea, Co Fermanagh, was on the Cavan side of the mountain when he became unwell. Cllr Feeley said that the response was hindered, not only by the difficult terrain, but also by the challenge of pinpointing his exact location, delaying emergency services, including the North West Mountain Rescue Team.

The motion was supported by his party colleagues Áine Smith and Philip Brady, who, like Cllr Feeley, referred to the Cuilcagh incident.

“There was a lot of confusion,” Cllr Brady noted, regarding whether Mr Murray was located north or south of the border.

Fine Gael’s Trevor Smith also agreed on the need for a precise GPS system, while Patricia Walsh (FF) and Independent councillor Brendan Fay voiced their support of the motion.