The European Central Bank (ECB) announced that production of the first batches of 13 billion euro notes, representing €600 billion (£473 billion) would begin in five countries this month.

Notes and coins are due to go into circulation on January 1st, 2002. The Republic will not be among the first countries producing notes, but production of 180 million notes would begin "in a couple of months", according to a Central Bank spokesman. However, the minting of coins as part of a total production of 56 billion euro coins will begin next month.