asked the Minister for Finance what the changeover to decimal currency has cost.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Decimal Currency Cost.
16.
The cost of the work of the Irish Decimal Currency Board, from its establishment in June, 1968, up to the present, is estimated at £290,000.
Is the figure the Minister mentioned purely estimated?
It is. I would draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that it is an estimate of the cost of the work of the Irish Decimal Currency Board. It is not possible to estimate the total cost to the community, if that is what the Deputy had in mind.
Does that include the cost of the new coins?
The cost of the Decimal Currency Board would not include the cost of the new coins.
I think the Minister might have included that in view of the question asked.
Yes. I thought he was including that.
I said the cost of the work of the Irish Decimal Currency Board was estimated at £290,000. It is not possible to give the total cost, if that is what the Deputy had in mind.
Has the Minister any idea of the cost of producing the new coins?
I do not know offhand but, normally, we do not lose money on that type of thing.
On this occasion the Government are bound to lose because they are replacing the whole of the currency. Normally it is an "in-and-out" transaction and there is no loss. On this occasion it is bound to cost quite a lot of money.