The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs

The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs is represented on the Single Currency Officers Team (SCOT).

Approximately 800,000 people receive social welfare payments each week by direct credit to personal accounts in banks and other financial institutions, by orders payable at Post Offices and by cheques.

From 1 January 1999:

	Social Welfare payments will continue to be made in Irish pounds.
	A leaflet will be made available very early in 1999 dealing with basic issues such as the timetable for the euro, its value, the denominations of notes and coins and how social welfare payments will be affected.

From 1 January 2002:

Social Welfare payments will be made in euro.

Information

In the period between 1 January 1999 and 1 January 2002, the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs will respond to the information needs of its customers in the manner and in relation to the pertinent issues that they themselves identify through the various consultative mechanisms used by the Department. The Department will involve its customers in the design process of published materials to ensure ease of understanding and coverage of relevant concerns.