Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 6

Written Answers. - Computer Programmes.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

337 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has satisfied himself that all computer matters relating to his Department are Y2K compliant; and the staff, if any, on standby on New Year's Eve to deal with any changeover difficulties. [24980/99]

David Stanton

Ceist:

348 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the status of contingency plans in relation to the Y2K computer problems in the event of a systems failure in his Department and all agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25445/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 348 together.

Compliance work for the Department's Y2K project was completed by July 1999 for all computer systems which support the Department's core business of processing claims and making payments across a wide variety of schemes. Some systems such as child benefit, family income supplement and old age pensions are already handling dates beyond 31 December 1999.

The Department also completed the necessary year 2000 related testing and upgrading of computer hardware, system software and network components in July 1999. A series of integration tests between the Department and a number of external key suppliers who have computer links to the Department has also been completed.

Bodies under the aegis of the Department, that is, Combat Poverty Agency, the Pensions Board and the NSSB, have all completed their year 2000 compliance projects.

The Department has also put in place an extensive year 2000 business continuity programme to ensure that any unforeseen disruption in service, however unlikely, is properly managed and promptly resolved. This will involve ensuring that essential checks are undertaken over the millennium weekend and that, where necessary, contingency arrangements, agreed in advance with local management, are put in place. The number of staff involved in millennium checks on 1 and 2 January is expected to be in the region of 180.