Vol. 485 No. 4
83 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if the computer programmes in use in his Department currently use a two digit year code or a four digit year code; if it is the former, the steps, if any, being taken to examine each line of computer programme in use in his Department to convert two digit to four digit codes to cope with the identification of the Year 2000; and, if so, when this conversion will be complete. [23479/97]
84 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the number of lines of computer code in use in his Department and in each agency under its aegis. [23494/97]
85 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if he will give an estimate of the cost of converting and testing computer programmes in use in his Department and in each agency under his aegis for the Year 2000 problem; and the conversion from the punt to the euro. [23511/97]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 83, 84 and 85 together.
In recent years, the Department and the Defence Forces have invested significant resources in upgrading computer systems in the main business areas such as payroll, financial management, inventory management and procurement.
While this investment was largely driven by business needs, the opportunity was taken to identify and plan the replacement or upgrading of systems which would not meet euro requirements, or systems which were not century compliant e.g. those using two digit year codes. As a result many of the systems in use are already euro or century compliant. A compliance audit of the remaining systems will be completed in 1998.
The Department and the Defence Forces are confident that full compliance will be achieved in the lifetime of the current IT investment programme which runs to 1999.
Given that the investment programme is largely driven by business as distinct from euro or Year 2000 needs, the Department has not calculated conversion costs per se. It might be of some assistance, however, to mention that total planned IT expenditure, capital and current, for the period 1997 to 1999, inclusive, is £9.3 million and this is expected to meet all IT needs, including the costs of any additional conversion which may be required.
