The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday discussed the British government's decision to rule out membership of the euro for the next few years with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair.
The 15-minute telephone call between the two leaders took place yesterday morning before the British Chancellor, Mr Brown, addressed the House of Commons.
Last night, a government spokeswoman told The Irish Times that the Taoiseach "welcomed the British government's commitment towards the European project in the longer-term".
Meanwhile, the further postponement of a British decision on joining the euro was described as "a major disappointment for businesses involved in cross-border trade", said the chairman of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Party Body.
Fianna Fail Cavan/Monaghan TD, Mr Brendan Smith said the maintenance of two currencies increased "bureaucracy, administration costs" for businesses, particularly for those who see the island of Ireland as one market.
A special committee is to be established to prepare the North for euro entry, Mr Paul Murphy, the Northern Secretary, announced yesterday. Mr Murphy will chair it, and its membership will be drawn from central and local government, trade unions, the voluntary sector, and business and industry.
Mr Philip McDonagh, chief economist with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Belfast remarked that Mr Brown's statement was "hardly surprising".
"With Northern Ireland as the only region of the UK to have a land border with euro-land, it is clear that the debate will continue in the North," he said.
Newry-based Mr Fergal McCormack, who recently stepped down as president of the Ulster Society of Chartered Accountants, pointed out that a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that 58 per cent of businesses in the North favoured joining the euro.
"About 30 per cent of all retail transactions in Newry are in euros. I think business in Northern Ireland would be very disappointed by Gordon Brown's statement," he said.
However Mr John O'Farrell of Northern Ireland in Europe said his organisation was very happy with the speech. "He's made it clear that we are heading towards entering the euro zone," he said.
In the Republic, IBEC director Mr Brian Geoghegan described it as a "disappointing result" from an Irish point of view. "The euro's recent appreciation against sterling has put exporters under pressure at a time when they are already facing pressures on the domestic front," he said.
Chambers of Commerce of Ireland head, Mr John Dunne, said Irish businesses would have to grow trade with the euro zone to cope with the negative impact of trading with sterling.
