Spend your 1c and 2c coins, bank urges

The Central Bank has urged people to spend their 1c and 2c coins instead of hoarding them, claiming it is causing a shortage of small change in the retail economy.

The Central Bank said Ireland has issued almost 2.5 billion one cent and two cent coins, which per head of population is three times more than the average in the euro area.

However, a huge proportion of those coins end up in piggy banks and jars and are seldom spent, resulting in more small coins having to be issued.