Vol. 486 No. 1
95 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the estimate of the cost of adapting all Government information technology software to make provision for the year 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1934/98]
The extra cost involved in adapting computer systems in use in the Civil Service to make them year 2000 compliant has been estimated at £12.8 million.
This figure does not include the cost of the in-house effort required, or the cost of replacing hardware-software packages which will arise in the normal course of upgrading ageing and obsolete systems.
The investigation and planning work involved in making IT systems in the Civil Service year 2000 compliant has been completed, and remedial work has been under way for some time.
An Interdepartmental Year 2000 Monitoring Committee, with private sector participation, has been established by the Government to oversee the achievement of year 2000 compliance in the Civil Service. The committee has sought detailed up-to-date information from all Departments and offices on their year 2000 work programmes, with a view to submitting its first progress report to Government in February 1998.
The committee will be reporting to Government on a quarterly basis thereafter.
