Almost 95 per cent of Irish people are aware of the single currency but only 6 in 10 know its name, according to the latest research from the Euro Changeover Board.

Speaking at the opening of the board's new offices and the launch of its website, Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy said its information campaign so far had been largely successful.

The survey, carried out by Landsdowne Market Research in July, also found that 85 per cent knew Ireland will be participating from the beginning, while 59 per cent knew that the euro can be used for non-cash transactions from January 1st.

Mr Philip Hamell, chairperson of the board and a senior civil servant in the Department of Finance, said the least knowledgable groups included the over 65s and the lower socio-economic groups.

The board will now be working on the name awareness for the new currency. It is sponsoring a TV series on RTE, Living With the Euro, and is providing materials for schools, as well as a training programme for the civil and public service.

A new edition of the National Changeover Plan is due in November when a national press advertising campaign will also run.

Mr Hamell added that the campaign will then focus on the fixing of the conversion rate.

"That will give people the next crucial piece of information and there will be time over the following three years to help everyone build a scale of values before notes and coins come in on January 1st 2002."

The web site giving details of all aspects of the euro is available at www.irlgov.ie/ecbi-euro