Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 3

Written Answers. - Euro Changeover.

John McGuinness

Question:

170 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if arrangements are in place within her Department to show pounds and euro on wage slips in the lead up to the euro changeover in 2002. [27083/01]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera):

From January 1999 until September 2001, the payslips of established civil servants in my Department showed the euro equivalent of the net pay figure, with other amounts being shown in Irish pounds. Since September the system is reversed and all figures on the payslips are in euro with an Irish pound equivalent shown for the net pay figure. The payslips of industrial employees will be in Irish pounds up to the end of December and in euro from January onwards. Technical difficulties, arising from the amount of allowances and deductions involved and the current IT system, make it impossible to show the euro figures earlier than this.

The personnel involved are aware of arrangements and every effort is being made to familiarise them with the euro changeover. Training on the euro for departmental staff is progressing with more than 1,000 people having received training to date. Literature on the euro from the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland has been distributed widely in departmental offices throughout the country. I might add that a new IT system for industrial wages is to be installed early in 2002.