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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 31 Mar 1998

Vol. 489 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. - Information Society Commission.

John Bruton

Question:

9 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the current work programme of the Information Society Commission. [8021/98]

I launched the first report of the Information Society Commission last month. The report which was circulated to every Member of the House, together with a letter from the chairman of the commission, outlines in detail the commission's work programme in the areas of awareness, infrastructure, learning, enterprise, legal issues, Government services and social inclusion.

For example, in the area of awareness, the commission will link in with key representative organisations to promote and encourage the organisation of information society events. It will also collect and disseminate case studies demonstrating best practice in the use of information and communication technologies in business and in the community.

With regard to legal issues, the commission will develop its review of existing statutory requirements which inhibit the growth and use of electronic commerce and electronic contracts.

On the specific matter of the millennium adjustment which will arise in the year 2000, is the Taoiseach aware that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, has described this matter as a civil emergency? Is he aware that Mr. Niall Fitzgerald of Unilever has said that the millennium problem could lead to a world-wide recession? Is he aware that the Civil Defence in Britain has been asked to draw up plans to deal with emergencies which could arise in regard to the distribution of food, gas and so on? Does the Taoiseach believe that the British Prime Minister is simply being alarmist or has he had any discussions with him to discuss whether our more laid back approach to this matter is justified?

Numerous questions have been tabled on this issue and numerous discussions have taken place. I have continued to urge the central group working on this issue in the Department of Finance and other Departments and agencies to deal with it. In the first and second weeks of January I spoke about this issue to all the Government Departments on a one to one basis. I am not saying we have everything covered, but we are endeavouring to ensure all Departments are dealing with this. As I told Deputy Quinn recently, I followed this up with the main ones, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. There were some difficulties in two or three other Departments about which I am still not satisfied and we are continuing to follow up on those.

I had a long discussion with Niall Fitzgerald on this issue when he was here a few weeks ago. He gave me the benefit of his thoughts and why he held his position. As Deputy Bruton stated, he and others believe this problem will create a world recession in the remaining months. He did not say that only to make a newspaper headline. I know from speaking to him at length that he believes that to be the case, but I hope he is not correct and I told him that.

There have been a number of seminars on this issue and perhaps we should have more high profile ones on it. I talked to the Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, about this in a casual way on a few occasions because he is being told by some industrialists and computer companies of the huge difficulties this problem could cause. All Ministers have been aware of this issue from last summer and have been urged continually to deal with it in the agencies under their remit and in their Departments. We will continue to do that.

Is the Taoiseach aware there can be official complacency about things? We have seen it with regard to banking supervision and perhaps we may be seeing it now in regard to the millennium problem. It is very important the Taoiseach does not accept comfortable and comforting answers and that he establishes a unit to second guess the complacent answers he may be getting from various agencies on this matter. Even if such second guessing proved to be unnecessary it would be money well spent. We should not necessarily accept what the British do as being always right, but if the British are very concerned about this issue, which plainly they are, we should be a little more concerned than we are.

This is not the first time we agree on something. We often agree on issues and I agree with Deputy Bruton on this. Since I came into office I have taken this issue seriously because of what some computer experts outside the public service have told me. The Deputy mentioned bringing in people from outside the public service to work with the central group. I did that in August or September last year and asked them to examine what was happening in the central group. I accept people can be complacent. I read reports, mainly from outside this country, on what might happen in this regard. When I was in the United States recently I heard people speak of their fears of what might happen. I dealt with this with the Departments and I will continue to do that because of the major difficulties that may be caused in our payments, receipts and records systems by this event.

Regarding reporting to this House on this issue, I followed up this issue with the various bodies, groups and the co-ordinating group that was in existence in the Department of Finance. It has worked actively on this, taken outside advice and worked with consultants and others who have joined it. There has been a good deal of activity with regard to dealing with this issue. I hope we have this problem covered, but I will continue to urge for certainty in this regard.

In support of what Deputy Bruton raised and in reply to what the Taoiseach said, I suggest that, rather than having an inquiry around the year 2002 into what went wrong, it might be useful if the Taoiseach, in consultation with the Whips, were to decide the appropriate committee of the House to which senior civil servants could report and to put them on record before us because there is a good deal of IT expertise in the various parliamentary parties. Across the board in a committee format it might be an effective way to satisfy people that, for example, our entire social welfare system will not crash in the year 2000, which effectively would leave people destitute. That is but one example and the Chair will be aware of others. On foot of the real concerns expressed by Deputy Bruton and many others, the Whips could consider the most appropriate committee to which senior civil servants could report because if this proves to be a problem in three or four years' time they will ultimately carry the can for it. We should be fore-warned now as to how this can be dealt with.

I will consider it in a positive way. It is a good suggestion.

Is the Taoiseach aware some businesses could be wiped out completely if they do not have adequate records in a form that will be readable in the year 2000? Will the Taoiseach agree he should appoint someone from outside the public service as an external auditor of the preparedness of all Governments services for this event who would report directly to him so that he would have someone other than the agencies reporting to him on the preparedness of those agencies?

The Departments of Finance and Enterprise and Employment are using outside people although they are not reporting directly to me. The Minister for Finance and the Tánaiste report on behalf of that committee. I am very conscious of the difficulties and concerns in this regard. I am sure Deputies Bruton and Quinn know as much as I do, but many of the packages in small to medium sized industries and companies allow for the switching of their records quite cheaply. The difficulties appear to be greater for the medium sized firms.

It is all a question of when they got the original material.

Exactly. The change-over seems to be far easier for the SMEs, but the Departments and State agencies are dealing with this and the Tánaiste has responsibility for the private sector in this regard. I will return to this issue again shortly. I said at Christmas we would review the mechanism at the end of the first quarter to consider how work has progressed, particularly with regard to the larger areas. Some of the Departments I mentioned are to report back to me and I will return to this matter again as soon as I have those reports in a few weeks' time.

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