Vol. 472 No. 8
5 Mr. McCreevy asked the Minister for Finance the cost of Euro Week; the proposed content of the forthcoming Government public information programme on economic and monetary union and the changeover to the new currency; the cost of such a campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24141/96]
7 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Finance the proposals, if any, he has to institute a formal information programme to ensure that businesses are fully aware of the implications of economic and monetary union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24150/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 7 together.
The Minister for Finance yesterday launched a national information programme on economic and monetary union and the changeover to the euro. As part of the national programme, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment launched a business awareness campaign which will be run by Forfás and which is aimed specifically at the business sector.
The national information programme is designed in phases to provide information to the public about economic and monetary union and the changeover to the euro as it proceeds. It will be co-ordinated with the social partners and relevant trade and representative associations. The programme will in its early stages focus particularly on the information needs of businesses.
The national programme will consist initially of the leaflets which were launched in the business awareness campaign yesterday: future leaflets will include advice for companies on particular business topics. There will also be leaflets on further information as it becomes available, for example, on the Dublin European Council Conclusions, what the bank notes and the coins will look like, etc. The programme will also include a world-wide web site on the Internet containing information on economic and monetary union: this will be continuously updated. It is also hoped to produce a video about economic and monetary union and the changeover to the euro.
The programme will also provide information to pupils in the education system. The Minister for Finance has already circulated to secondary schools an extensive presentation on economic and monetary union which he made to the Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs last March. It is also intended to circulate copies of the ESRI report "The Implications for Ireland of European Monetary Union" to the libraries of all third level institutions so that students can consult it. As the programme proceeds it will be broadened to include advertising in the media from the second half of 1997 onwards.
The national information programme will be under the auspices of the Department of Finance. The Department has already established an informal group on economic and monetary union consisting of representatives of the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (IBEC), the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, the Director of Consumer Affairs, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the Irish Bankers' Federation, the Irish Insurance Federation, the Irish Mortgage and Savings Association, the Irish Farmers' Association, the Irish Stock Exchange, the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (Ireland) and the Central Bank of Ireland. This group will have a key role to play in relation to the national information programme and will probably form the nucleus of a more formal group, like the Decimal Currency Board set up to oversee the decimalisation of the Irish pound in 1971, to co-ordinate the changeover to the euro as the economic and monetary union process develops.
The overall objective of the business awareness campaign is to raise awareness in the enterprise sector, especially among SMEs, of the implications for businesses of economic and monetary union and the changeover to the euro. The initial goals of the campaign include encouraging companies to initiate a planning process; encouraging exchange of information and co-operation by bringing together different groups and organisations; and obtaining feedback on company requirements which will be used to help determine the development of the campaign.
The business awareness campaign will be directed through business associations, professional bodies, and State agencies that deal directly with enterprises. These will act as the main channel of communication with the enterprise sector. They are represented on a consultative committee for the campaign. By involving all the major participants in the changeover, the campaign will co-ordinate action, encourage co-operation and act as an information exchange.
A management committee consisting of representatives from Government Departments, the Central Bank, and business people has been established to give strategic direction to the business awareness campaign. Forfás has produced a series of leaflets in an information folder as the first phase of the campaign and these were presented at yesterday's launch.
The first phase of the national information programme, including the Forfás economic and monetary union business awareness campaign, will run to the end of 1997 and is estimated to cost £300,000. The National Programme was drawn up in consultation with the European Commission and the Commission has indicated that it will fund 50 per cent of this cost.
Euro Week is being organised on behalf of the Minister for Finance by EAN Ireland, the organisation which sets the standards for article numbering, bar coding, scanning and electronic commerce, and the Licensed Vintners' Association. EAN Ireland has distributed up to 10,000 posters to groceries, supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies and newsagents nationwide. The posters feature four products priced both in euro and Irish pounds. The Licensed Vintners' Association has invited some 250 of its members in Dublin city to display prices in Irish pounds and euro for Euro Week.
In all cases the euro prices use a rate of one euro equal to 80 pence. This rate is for illustration purposes only and has been chosen because it is easy to calculate with. The costs of Euro Week are being borne by EAN Ireland and the Licensed Vintners' Association.
I welcome the Government's initiative in conducting this information campaign because recent surveys conducted among business people indicate that the level of awareness of economic and monetary union is very low. What time during next year will these initiatives commence? I am aware of the present one-week campaign, but is it intended to set out a coherent programme of information to improve public awareness of economic and monetary union in early 1997? It is important, from everybody's point of view, that greater priority be given to this matter than heretofore. It is not the fault of the Government or politicians. The Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs has given this matter considerable attention, but only sketchy reports appeared about the concept in the national newspapers, although one paper was better than the other. In general this has not caught the public imagination. I urge the Government to press forward with an aggressive campaign early in 1997 in the run-up to D-day on 1 January 1999.
It is important that information dissemination on these questions be progressed in 1997 and 1998 with increasing emphasis as time goes on. A major start has been made with this programme. I have had a brief look at it and it looks quite impressive. Arrangements are being made to circulate a copy of the Forfás Business Awareness Campaign Folder which was launched yesterday to all Oireachtas Members. A major campaign is proceeding and this will have to be speeded up the closer we get to the critical phases in 1999 and 2002.
Could the Minister indicate whether, as part of the process, a standard symbol has been decided upon for the euro, or will we all have to buy new keyboards? Is there any proposal to continue using existing currency denominations? Will there be a symbol for the euro which will be available to people without having to engage in unnecessary expenditure?
I have no information on whether there will be a symbol. My understanding is that both currencies will operate in tandem for a period before the domestic currency is withdrawn and we are left with the euro alone. I can make inquiries about the symbol. There will possibly be various symbols in use to highlight various aspects of the changeover.
Will the Minister indicate whether the dissemination of information about economic and monetary union is being paralleled in all the European states? If not, what states are engaging in the process along with Ireland? Are both primary and secondary schools involved in disseminating information on economic and monetary union and the euro? I agree with Deputy McCreevy that there is a lack of awareness and a need for a public campaign on the issue.
I cannot say whether the euro week programme mirrors exactly what may be going on in other countries in Europe. No doubt they have their own campaigns under way and are as concerned as we are about ensuring the necessary dissemination of information on economic and monetary union, to business people initially, and also to everybody else. I am sure they are doing that efficiently and we are determined to do the same. The changeover to decimalisation was traumatic enough. This is something that has to be undertaken and the Government is determined to ensure that the necessary arrangements are put in place. All the relevant organisations and experts on this subject have been drawn together into an informal group on economic and monetary union. I read out the list and Deputies will be satisfied that it is broad-ranging and comprehensive. All levels of expertise that we have in this area will be drawn together to ensure that a worthwhile and effective public campaign is undertaken. We have made a start and I am sure that, when Deputies see the material that has been circulated, they will be impressed by it. It is only a start, and the Government recognises that. The campaign will hot up in 1997 and particularly in 1998.
The Minister said that the changeover to decimalisation, which was supervised by a decimalisation board, was traumatic enough. I distinctly remember that there was a massive abuse of the changeover by a number of retailers and manufacturers taking advantage of people's ignorance to massively increase their prices. The price of a box of matches in particular shot up. Is there any proposal to introduce a price stabilisation mechanism? I am against price controls generally, but there should be some way of preventing unscrupulous people profiting from an inevitable degree of public confusion and ignorance by ripping people off.
I agree with Deputy McDowell. His recollections of some of the events that followed decimalisation accord with my own. Quite a bit of unacceptable activity went on at that time. With the benefit of that experience I am sure steps will be taken at the appropriate time to ensure that that does not happen. I will certainly bring Deputy McDowell's comments to the attention of the Minister for Finance.
Before I move on to answer Question No. 8, I have been given a note about Question No. 4 to the effect that representations were made in writing to the Minister and to the Department on the same date and also that the Revenue Commissioners were consulted.
