The introduction of the euro currency in Northern Ireland is inevitable according to the SDLP’s Dr Alasdair McDonnell.
On a visit to the European Commission in Brussels with a group of Assembly members Mr McDonnell said: "The euro is now a second currency in most of Northern Ireland."
"People in Belfast have been surprised at the number of local shops and businesses willing to trade in euros," he said.
He called on the British government and the Northern Ireland Executive to face up to the reality of the euro and confront the issues surrounding the necessary referendum.
Meanwhile, last night a member of the House of Lords urged the UK government to allow Northern Ireland to adopt the euro before Britain.
Lord Harrison argued the move would significantly benefit tourism, farming and the retail sector.
Ulster Unionist member Lord Laird said that Northern Ireland had moved at the start of this year from bordering a state with a minor currency to having a border with a global one.
