Ordnance Survey Map Prices

The retail price of a standard Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Discovery sheet in 2024 is €8.80 inc VAT at 13.5%. Looking at an old price list from 2005 I observe that the price of the same sheet was €7.90 inc VAT at 13.5%.

That’s a rise of just €0.90 in practically 20 years.. when the costs of data, labour & printing have risen substantially. How is this credible? Even going by average inflation figures, there should be a 37% increase in this period. Such a sheet should be retailing at least as €10.80.

This high degree of public subsidy may on face value appear to be good for the public but it’s entirely counterproductive to anyone else developing & selling maps into the Irish market. Who are faced with the full commercial costs. It’s hard enough to find retail outlets these days to stock print maps but when you stack Ordnance Survey maps at €8.80 on the shelf alongside maps from ourselves at €14.99 or Harvey maps at €20, the choice is simple for the casual map purchaser.

The public in fact should be demanding that all mapping products from Ordnance Survey Ireland now Tailte Éireann should be entirely free of charge. As they are developed entirely with public funds, so they should be free to the public. This would both be useful to the public and also remove them from the shelves of retail outlets.

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