Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 1

Written Answers. - Computer Programmes.

John Bruton

Question:

126 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach 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 the aegis of his Department for the Year 2000 problem; and the conversion from the punt to the euro. [23523/97]

John Bruton

Question:

127 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if the computer programmes in use in his Department currently use a two 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 when this conversion with be complete. [23589/97]

John Bruton

Question:

128 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the number of lines of computer code in use in his Department and in each agency under its aegis. [23590/97]

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

147 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach the progress, if any, to date in 1998 in relation to preparations in his Department for the problems that will be created for computer equipment from the advent of the millennium. [1901/98]

The Taoiseach:

I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 127, 128 and 147, together.

My Department is currently implementing a work plan to ensure that all of the Department's computer systems are Year 2000 compliant. Most of the work will be completed by December 1998 with some remaining to be completed by the summer of 1999 at the latest. The estimated cost so far of converting and testing computer software to ensure Year 2000 compliance in my Department is £20,000. This is in addition to expenditure on the replacement of IT equipment which had been planned in the normal course of events and which will upgrade otherwise non-compliant systems.

In relation to the euro, the Centre for Management and Organisation Development in the Department of the Finance is co-ordinating all necessary changes to common financial systems in Departments and accordingly the cost will be a joint cost among those Departments.

The Department's core databases are developed through Lotus Notes and all recent developments in Lotus Notes makes use of four digit codes in its data formats. Some older applications will be tested this year and any necessary changes will be completed by end of 1998-early 1999.

In line with a Government decision, my Department has requested bodies under its aegis to address their Year 2000 and euro issues. Work is ongoing in these offices, but the total extent of the changes required and the costs arising have not yet been fully determined. So far, the following costs have been identified:

Office	Estimated Costs to Date
	£
Dept. of the Taoiseach, including Government Information Services	20,000
Central Statistics Office	401,729
NESC	1,400
Tribunal Offices, Dublin Castle	1,200

While the questions do not refer directly to the Office of the Attorney General, I can report that costs of between £30,000-£50,000 have been identified for software upgrades in that office.

With regard to lines of code, the software in use in my Department is mainly proprietary third party application software, e.g. word processors and spreadsheets. Documenting the number of lines of code in each of these applications is not regarded as being necessary to deal with issues arising from the onset of the Year 2000. The same holds true for other offices under the aegis of this Department, with the exception of the Central Statistics Office which has identified 391,112 lines of code which were not Year 2000 compliant. Work is on-going in that office to ensure full compliance by December 1998.

My Department will be providing quarterly progress reports to the Government's Year 2000 Monitoring Committee which was established in September 1997 to oversee the achievement of Year 2000 compliance for IT systems and other office equipment in the Civil Service. The committee which is chaired by the Department of Finance, will report quarterly to Government on progress on this matter.