SUPPORT for the European single currency has risen in Ireland, even though over three quarters of Irish people profess not to be very well informed about the single currency.

A "flash Eurobarometer" telephone poll for the European Commission, conducted immediately after December's Madrid summit, found 66 per cent of Irish supported the currency (up from 60 per cent in a poll conducted earlier in December), while 19 per cent opposed it. Throughout Europe 54 per cent supported and 37 per cent opposed, a rise in support of six percentage points.

Some comfort will be taken in Bonn in a small four percentage point rise in support for the currency among Germans, but, at 38 per cent support, the most enthusiastic government in Europe for the currency still clearly has a lot of work to do at home.

Seventy per cent of Irish respondents are happy with the name euro (21 per cent opposed), more or less exactly the same proportion as the rest of the EU.