Vol. 488 No. 2
57 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children if each health board or the health boards jointly have year 2000 project teams in place; if so, the work, if any, these teams has completed to date in 1998; the progress, if any, which will have been made by 31 December 1998; and when each health board will be expected to have year 2000 compliant systems fully in place. [5756/98]
132 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children if each health board or the health boards jointly have year 2000 project teams in place; if so, the work, if any, these teams have completed to date in 1998; the progress, if any, which will have been made by 31 December 1998; and when each health board will be expected to have year 2000 compliant systems fully in place. [5869/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 132 together.
Arrangements are in place in all health boards to address the problems arising from year 2000 compliance. Virtually all boards have formal steering committees in place to oversee the necessary remedial action. In the boards that have not, the work is overseen by senior management. Each health agency is addressing the problem from its own perspective and in the way that best suits its own circumstances. Typically, the information technology is being addressed by the management services units while the embedded systems aspect is being addressed by the technical staff — either technical service officers, engineering or medical physics staff, as appropriate.
It is too early to say with certainty when all systems will be compliant. Health agencies are approaching the issue from a business continuity perspective and will be ensuring that systems which pose a threat to public health are addressed on a priority basis. Senior managers are fully aware of the problem and will be working towards compliance for all business critical systems well in advance of the due dates. Health agencies will be expected to be year 2000 compliant well in advance of the new millennium.
