The Minister for Finance has launched a campaign to inform the general public about the changeover to the euro. "The aim of this campaign is to tell people about the timetable for the changeover to the euro and to inform the public that the change will be gradual and manageable for them," Mr McCreevy said.

The campaign is being run by the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland (ECBI) which has been charged with ensuring that the introduction of the new currency is as smooth as possible. The ECBI will deliver a leaflet outlining the euro timetable and detailing what the new notes and coins will look like to every house in Ireland in coming weeks. It will also conduct a survey to find out what information it needs to make available as the campaign proceeds as well as running a national advertising campaign.

"We want to make sure that people have the information they need to keep them well informed about the changeover as it proceeds," Mr Philip Hamell, chairperson of the ECBI, said. Making sure the consumer is well informed should also help ensure the changeover will not have an inflationary effect, he said.

Although the euro will come into being on January 1st, 1999, it can only be used for cashless transactions such as cheques, direct debits or credit transfers.

Euro notes and coins will not come into circulation until January 1st, 2002 when Irish pound notes and coins will start to be withdrawn.

"My message to the general public is don't worry. There's plenty of time to get used to the idea of the euro," Mr McCreevy said.

However, he said the changeover would be a major logistical exercise as the new notes and coins would have to be minted while Irish pound notes and coins would have to be stored safely as they are withdrawn. Talks are ongoing with the Department of Defence regarding the use of army depots to help in the changeover process.

For further information, the ECBI can be contracted on Lo-call 1890 20 10 50 or at the web site: www.irlgov.ie/finance