Mr Yves Thibault de Silguy, EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, today met the Chairperson of the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland, Mr Philip Hamell, to be briefed on the public information activities of the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland.

The main upcoming event is "Living with the euro", a series of six television programmes which is co-sponsored by the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland and presented by Olivia O'Leary. The programmes will cover all aspects of the changeover to the euro, including the financial, retail and consumer areas, and will be transmitted on RTE1 on Sunday evenings, starting on Sunday next 18 October at 11.00 pm.

"The Board's support of this major new television series is part of our campaign to make everyone aware of the coming of the euro. Over the next three months, the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland will be intensifying its national communications campaign about the euro".

Mr Hamell also briefed the Commissioner on the rest of the Board's communications plan for the run up to the launch of the euro on 1 January 1999. The Board recently went live on the Web (www.irlgov.ie/ecbi-euro) and launched its Aertel page (678). Upcoming communications activities include:

A public information video on the euro, which will be launched in November

The third edition of Ireland's National Changeover Plan, also to be launched in November

National press advertising and public relations campaign

Information materials for people with a hearing or visual disability

Information material for schools, in liaison with the Department of Education

A programme of briefings for civil and public servants.

Mr Hamell also thanked Commissioner de Silguy for the financial support being given by the European Union to Ireland's National Information Programme on the changeover to the euro.