Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 2

Written Answers. - GTN Directory.

Joe Jacob

Question:

229 Mr. Jacob asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment whether his attention has been drawn to the availability throughout the Civil Service and to Members of the Oireachtas of the Government's Telecommunications Network Directory on computer within an on-line Lotus Notes database; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that a large number of the documents contained within this database are now incorrect; the names and contact numbers of the persons in his Department who are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the portion of this database which relates to his Department, both in terms of content and replication to the CMOD master copy of the database; the date on which that portion of the database which relates to his Department was last updated; if he will ensure that the database is accurately maintained in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6780/97]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

The GTN Directory was one of the first databases to be made available when Lotus Notes was distributed throughout my Department early in 1996. The Department's internal telephone directory is maintained in a Lotus Notes database and the data is regularly copied to the GTN Directory.

I understand that, due to technical problems with the replication between my Department's Lotus Notes server and the Lotus Notes server in CMOD, the scheduled daily replication had not taken place for a period commencing in October 1996. However, these problems have been rectified and the scheduled replication has since resumed. The information in relation to my Department is now up-to-date.

In order to ensure the accuracy of my Department's entry in the GTN Directory, I have requested that changes to the internal telephone directory be reflected immediately in the GTN Directory database. I have also requested that the replication of this database with the CMOD master copy be more closely monitored in future to prevent a recurrence of the problem referred to above.