A leading BO] Year 2000 expert has called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to pledge at least £5 million to combat the millennium bug problem.

In advance of an address by Mr Ahern at a national Year 2000 (Y2K) conference in UCD on Wednesday, Mr Patrick O'Beirne has sent an open letter to the Taoiseach. In it, he urges Mr Ahern to commit an amount commensurate with the £97 million the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has set aside for the problem in the UK.

He has asked Mr Ahern to commit £3.5 million for training grants for companies and advisers; £500,000 for overseas aid and £1 million for national awareness funding, similar to `Action 2000' in Britain.

"I call upon you to nominate a team who will be contact points for national Y2K process monitoring, so people can make their contingency plans appropriately," writes Mr O'Beirne, a consultant in software development process improvement and a founder of the Irish Computer Society Y2K special interest group.

While acknowledging the existence of the inter-departmental monitoring committee set up earlier this year to review national Y2K progress, Mr O'Beirne has recommended the Freedom of Information act be implemented, as currently all reports are private to the Government.

He also suggests the introduction of "Good Samaritan" legislation as proposed by President Clinton in the US. Such legislation would "guarantee that businesses which share information about their readiness with the public or with each other, and do it honestly and carefully, cannot be held liable for the exchange of that information if it turns out to be inaccurate."

In addition, the Government should ensure no new legislation be enacted before 2000 which requires computer systems changes. Instead, companies can focus all their resources on preparing for the Year 2000.

According to a spokesman at the Department of An Taoiseach, the letter - which was emailed last Thursday - has been received and referred to the Government's economic and social policy division. Once the letter has been reviewed it will advise the Taoiseach accordingly.