Republic of Ireland

This information will be updated periodically but it also includes some materials, for example the dual circulation periods, which are no longer relevant but have been retained for reference purposes. The date that this information was last updated is at the bottom of the page.

Government Euro web sites:
The Euro Changeover Board of Ireland:
www.euro.ie

Forfás EMU Business Awareness Campaign:
www.emuaware@forfas.ie

Pricing

Banking

Business Preparations

Retail

Accounting

Public Sector

General Public

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

Pricing

Consumer Prices
The following table shows the annual percentage change on the same month in the previous year.

Banking

Full value exchange of IEP for euro at Central Bank indefinitely.

ECSR

Central Bank of Ireland:
www.centralbank.ie

Irish Bankers' Federation:
www.ibf.ie

Business Preparations

The percentage of SMEs who had changed over to euro on 1 January 2002 for:

	accounting systems	93 per cent
	prices	93 per cent
	invoicing	91 per cent
	computer systems and IT	73 per cent

Overall SMEs considered that the changeover to the euro:

	had been easier or much easier than they planned	59 per cent
	proceeded as they planned	38 per cent
	had been more difficult than expected	3 per cent

14 per cent of SME's had encountered practical difficulties when changing over to the euro.

When converting prices from national currency to the euro the percentage of SMEs who had:

	converted prices some upwards and some downwards	20 per cent
	converted prices on a neutral basis	67 per cent
	converted prices upwards	3 per cent
	converted prices downwards	9 per cent

EB Eurobarometer Survey EB122

Irish Business and Employers' Federation:
www.ibec.ie/euro

Society of the Irish Motor Industry:
www.simi.ie

Retail

All retailers

	price all goods and services in euro if not already dual priced
	pay staff in euro
	maintain internal accounts and book keeping in euro
	make all tax returns (VAT/PAYE/PRSI) in euro from

Forfas is distributed "Your Retail Training Kit" to almost 40,000 retailers in the Republic of Ireland. It was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister on 11 October 2001.

Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom and Ireland Ltd: www.booksellers.org.uk

Irish Hardware Association:
www.irishhardware.ie

Irish Retail Newsagents Association:
www.irna.ie

Accounting

All accounts and book keeping should be in euro

Public sector

	Legislation: Euro Changeover (Amounts) Act deals with adaptation to euro amounts on 1 January 2002. Tax and Social Security Codes covered by Finance Act 2001 and Social Welfare Act 2001. Motor Vehicles Act 2001 lays down taxes and dues in euros. All conversions have been rounded in favour of the consumer. ECSR
	Public procurement: Tenders in euros
	Main utilities: euro billing from 1 January 2002 ECSR.

General Public

	94 per cent felt that the introduction of the euro went well or fairly well.
	92 per cent felt that the changeover to the euro went without any difficulties or with some temporary difficulties for them personally and 92 per cent for everyone.
	70 per cent said that they found it easy to remember prices in euro, 71 per cent compare prices in euro and 83 per cent to understand bills in euro.
	72 per cent thought that dual pricing of goods was essential or fairly useful.
	For dual pricing in shops:

	14 per cent thought that prices when converted to euro had either not been rounded or had been rounded down.
	When asked which organisations had helped the most.
	54 per cent thought the media
	13 per cent thought shops and other retailers
	27 per cent thought the banks
	7 per cent thought consumer or other representative groups
	39 per cent thought family and friends

Information Activities

A handbook on the euro changeover was sent to every household in Ireland during October by the ECBI.

The Central Bank of Ireland circulated a European Central Bank brochure about the euro notes and coins to every household in the country from end-October.

The Euro Roadshow, which was launched in May 2001, continues to toured the country. An information pack is being sent to all schools.

The Irish Bankers Federation has launched an information booklet "Banking, the euro and You" which is being widely distributed to bank and building society customers.

A new public information video on the euro is being made available to community and voluntary organisations, nursing homes and centres for the elderly.

Other Links and Sources

European Commission:
www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm (all EU languages for most documents)

European Central Bank:
www.ecb.int (All EU languages for most documents)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Embassy site:
www.britishembassy.ie

For information for travellers, including business travellers, click here to see the joint FCO/HMT/DTI Government leaflet "Euro notes and coins and how they will affect you" on this site.

Sources:
Irish national changeover plan throughout
ECSR European Commission Second Report: 10 October 2001
Second report on the preparations for the introduction of euro notes and coins
EB Eurobarometer survey E121 January 2002
http://europa.eu.int/euro/html/dossiers/00716/00716-en.pdf
HICP. Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices. Eurostat February 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
EB Special Eurobarometer 171- May 2002 http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_171_tables_en.pdf