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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 3

Written Answers. - Computer Programmes.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

640 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself with the progress towards full year 2000 compliance within his Department and in agencies for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8233/99]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

641 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of personnel in his Department working on securing year 2000 compliance within his Department and the bodies under its aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8248/99]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

642 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the efforts, if any, made by his Department to ensure that schools and school equipment are year 2000 compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8269/99]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

643 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the name of the external consultants engaged by his Department to assess the returns made by agencies under the aegis of his Department in relation to year 2000 compliance; the costs incurred to date by his Department; if he has satisfied himself that all bodies under the auspices of his Department will achieve full year 2000 compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8270/99]

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 640, 641, 642 and 643 together.

My Department is continuing to implement a major programme of work designed to ensure that all its existing IT systems and all of the hardware and software components of its IT infrastructure will continue to work through the changeover to the next millennium. This programme also deals with the potential impact of the year 2000 on non-IT equipment with embedded electronics e.g. phone systems, lifts, security systems etc. My Department's programme of work is progressing well towards the goal of ensuring that any potential problems in relation to year 2000 compliance are addressed. Within my Department, personnel are assigned to year 2000 related work as necessary. Over 50 staff, mainly from the IT, personnel and organisation units of my Department are involved in this work to a greater or lesser extent, with overall co-ordination being handled by the IT unit.

The National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, which I established last year, issued purchasing guidelines to all first and second level schools for use in the acquisition of IT equipment, with particular reference to the expenditure of computer equipment grant aid supplied under the schools IT 2000 programme. This document provided advice on the need to ensure that all IT equipment purchased is year 2000 compliant. In addition, my Department has produced a set of guidelines for schools on dealing with the year 2000 problem. These guidelines document the actions that need to be taken to ensure that existing and newly purchased equipment is year 2000 compliant and provide references to other sources of information on the issue. The guidelines were published through the NCTE which has made them available on its Internet web site and has also issued them in booklet form to all first and second level schools. The NCTE also has a telephone helpdesk in place for schools with queries on the year 2000 issue. My Department is addressing centrally the issue of the year 2000 compliance of systems used in the generation of electronic annual returns to it by schools.
Year 2000 compliance status reports are sought from bodies under the aegis of my Department every two months. These status reports provide self assessments of progress by the bodies under a number of headings. The reports form the basis of bimonthly progress reports to Government. While a number of bodies particularly larger bodies are making good progress, close monitoring of the situation continues to be necessary. My Department has engaged both the PA Consulting Group and Sunglen Consulting during the last year to assist in monitoring progress by bodies towards achieving year 2000 compliance. The total cost involved to date is £37,000.
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