Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to welcome the ambassador. I was very interested in his account of the Lithuanian economy, the debt ratio and his positive news on the economy. I wish him well.

I am old enough to remember when we moved to the euro. Some people became unsettled as they did not understand it. The ambassador said that Lithuania proposes to operate a dual system. How long will the dual system be in place? In some parts of Europe, people still have their old currency and still think in terms of it rather than the euro. People of my generation still talk in terms of pounds, shillings and pence. Many Irish people had a sense, not necessarily at the time but some three or four years afterwards, that the consumer rather than business had lost out on the transition to the euro. Some still have that belief today.

Is there public support for the transition to the euro? Has it been determined how long the Lithuanian Litas will continue to be exchanged for euro? Has there been an awareness campaign on the euro? Are some sections of the population more reluctant than others to accept changes in the currency? From our experience, I know that younger people found it easier to accept decimalisation.

I presume the ambassador believes the euro will bring greater stability to the Lithuanian economy, but the country will lose some of its sovereignty to the European Union. I wish Lithuania well.