Vol. 476 No. 6
23 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Finance his views on the fact that the computer change from 1999 to 2000 will have a major impact on payments and other data emanating from Government Departments; and the action, if any, which is being taken in relation to this matter. [5326/97]
The Department of Finance is currently finalising a circular for early issue to Departments and offices on the impact of the year 2000 on information technology (IT) systems. The circular will require Departments and offices (i) to verify the year 2000 compliance status of their IT infrastructures and systems; (ii) to draw up plans to migrate non-compliant systems to year 2000 compliance; and (iii) to procure only year 2000 compliant products to prevent the introduction of problems in already compliant systems. Departments and offices will be required also to submit these plans to my Department to enable it to advise Government of developments.
The objective is to ensure that all Departments' and offices' information technology systems are year 2000 compliant by January 1999 at the latest, or before then for those systems which process post-2000 dates in this century.
