I'm a honeymooner in Dublin this week, and while in the Temple Bar area visited three of the five cybercafes I have found in the city so far. To get an idea of the costs here, a one-hour session on the Internet at a cybercafe goes for about $7 to $8 an hour. In Bermuda a session goes for about $10 an hour, still expensive compared to the US and Canada. Cost is a big issue of debate here, as it is in Bermuda, as Dublin is pushing itself as a technological centre where Internet related companies can set up operations.

Ireland as a whole is battling with the same issues besetting the telecommunications and technology sectors in Bermuda. The Irish Times business section contains stories dealing with some familiar issues -- including telecommunications deregulation, high Internet costs and work permits for technology workers.

This week the Irish Government's Telecoms Advisory Committee is due to put together the final report on how the tax system and support network can spur foreign investment in the technology sector. At the base of making Ireland an electronic commerce hub is the telecommunications infrastructure and its costs. Where have we heard these phrases before? Flat-rate Internet costs are said to be the crucial issue at the centre of the committee's recommendations according to newspaper commentators.

Currently most Irish Internet service providers charge users a flat monthly or annual rate for supplying a connection. The phone service provider adds another charge on top for the local call to the Internet provider.

Previous to lowering its rates recently Telecom Eireann charged users in three minute increments working out to about $3.20 an hour for making the local call at full rate. Charges are now determined in five minute increments at a lower rate.

Telecom Eireann is approaching D-day on December 1 when full deregulation takes effect and is said to be going to be making a new package rate for Internet charges. According to Telecom Eireann "unresolved regulatory issues'' (sound familiar?) are making it "impossible'' for the company to implement flat-rate access. Interconnect fees, the charges paid from one telephone service provider to another when it uses the other's lines, are the concern of the company.

Meanwhile, on another front, technology companies in Ireland are being squeezed by a shortage of staff. The Irish Software Association wants more work permits granted more quickly for non-European Union workers, especially for those from Eastern Europe and India where there is an abundance of expertise. The Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment processes about 6,000 non-EU work permit applications annually and is so swamped that it now takes about two months to process a candidate. The result is many candidates are being sopped up by US firms during the time the work permit is being processed.

"The skills shortage is the single biggest limiting factor to growth,'' the Irish Software Association stated in The Irish Times. "Other countries have effective work-permit processing systems in place. We can't afford to be complacent. If we want to remain competitive some kind of fast-track system for technically-skilled applicants would be very welcome.'' This week Tech Tattle looks at how Argus Group is dealing with the Year 2000 problem. Argus needed to deal with the problem and have most of its major systems compliant by January, 1999 in time for its annual round of insurance policy renewals.

In October 1997 the company appointed an independent consultant full time as Year 2000 project manager. The consultant reports to Ronald Viera, Argus' information systems manager. Mr. Viera reports directly to chief executive officer Gerald Simons. Mr. Simons also sits on the company's computer steering committee.

The company has adopted as its corporate standard the British Standards Institute definition of the Year 2000 Conformity requirements, known as Disc-PD2000-1. The definition has four rules of compliance: Rule 1: No value for the current date will cause any interruption in operations; Rule 2: All equipment and software depending must function consistently for dates prior to, during and after the year 2000; Rule 3: In all interfaces and data storage, the entry in any date must be specified either explicitly or by unambiguous algorithms or inferencing rules; Rule 4: Year 2000 must be recognised as a leap year.

"We have taken a pretty standard approach,'' Mr. Simons said.

The approach began with a complete inventory of all equipment and software, including the elevator, photocopiers, and security systems. Next was an assessment of where the company was exposed and what the implications were.

Depending on the system and equipment, various approaches were developed. In some cases systems were replaced. Other functions are being outsourced. For example a new payroll software system was purchased.

The company's software system for its company group health insurance programmes was custom developed for Argus and already used four digits for specifying the date, so that wasn't a problem.

In addition the company had already decided to upgrade and improve its computer systems and is ensuring those are already Year 2000 compliant.

"We didn't uncover anything that could not be reasonably handled,'' Mr.

Simons said. "We don't anticipate any major problems.'' The company expects to complete testing of its major systems early next year and expects to be compliant by the end of the first quarter. Contingency plans are also in place in case systems fail despite the precautions.

Of nagging concern, Mr. Simons said, is the Year 2000 efforts of business partners and suppliers. For example Argus' claims processing system is connected to the hospitals.

Check out The Year 2000 Information Centre at www.year2000.com on the Internet for information, updates and links.

Tech Tattle deals with issues relating to technology. Contact Ahmed at 295-5881 ext. 248, 238-3854, or techtat ygazette.newsmedia.bm.