Vol. 488 No. 2
5 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the recent replacement and upgrading works, if any, which have taken place in his Department to protect its information systems against the millennium bug; the cost of these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5555/98]
Work has been completed in recent weeks on upgrading embedded systems on critical file servers in use on the Department's network. The work was carried out by staff within my Department and no costs were incurred. Year 2000 work in my Department will continue to be prioritised with a view to ensuring a fully compliant infrastructure by the summer of 1999.
Has the Taoiseach seen recent reports in newspapers from experts in information technology who express increasing alarm that Governments generally underestimate the extent of the problem which will arise from simultaneously programming computers to cope with the double zero problem arising from the millennium and with the conversion of all national currencies to the euro? Both these problems must be dealt with at the same time by the same experts on the same computers while those same computers are used to run day to day operations.
I have seen newspaper reports. We are endeavouring within my Department to ensure everything is compliant by the end of the year. Some non-critical areas will not be completed until next year. The year 2000 monitoring committee, chaired by the Department, is reporting on all other issues and ensuring these are dealt with across the public service. The Minister for Finance is dealing with that issue.
Is the Taoiseach of the view that these reports, some of which have been recently reported in the Financial Times, are wrong and that there is nothing about which to be alarmed?
No, I do not believe they are wrong. I have read a number of them and they issue warnings which we should all heed. Last year, I suggested to my Cabinet colleagues that they should talk to the information technology people in the various sections within their Departments and that they should co-operate fully with the Year 2000 monitoring committee to ensure we do not take any risks. The reports state that business generally, public administration or otherwise, should not underestimate the year 2000 problem. In so far as I can gauge, no one in Government Departments is taking this lightly.
Will the Taoiseach examine the potential problems which may exist in the health service in regard to the computerisation of appointments and medical records? It is argued that there could be major problems in certain countries in the year 2000 if adequate arrangements have not been put in place.
I will make the Minister for Health and Children aware of the Deputy's concerns.
Has the Taoiseach had a chance since this matter was last raised on Question Time to satisfy himself that the arrangements being made in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs have been properly put in place? The most significant risk in terms of interaction between the citizen and the Government is for those who are recipients of social welfare payments. They could be most at risk if there were a failure in the system.
I spoke to the Secretary General of the Department and he assured me that, while their work programme is difficult given the enormous amount of work involved, they will have everything concluded this year. They are well aware of the difficulties, they know they must finish this work in 1998 and that is their intention.
