I do not have any proposals to hold a conference in conjunction with the State agencies under my aegis in relation to the year 2000 problem. All hardware and new software purchased by my Department since 1 January 1997 is the subject of a vendor guarantee that it is year 2000 compliant. The normal system maintenance and projects carried out by my Department should ensure that most of the potentially non-compliant hardware and software will be replaced as a matter of course by the year 2000.
My Department's specific year 2000 programme, therefore, entails: obtaining guarantees from vendors on the compatibility of their software or hardware; obtaining the necessary upgrades and patches to software from vendors; slightly accelerating the Department's maintenance programme and scheduled projects to ensure all hardware and software for which vendors guarantees are not forthcoming are replaced by the year 2000; and implementing the necessary amendments to software which has been written or customised in house.