THE Government is so worried about the Year 2000 "millennium bug" that it plans an awareness campaign to highlight the problem for Irish executives. The Government fears a lack of action within companies could prove so costly that it would damage the economy.

Some months ago, the Government asked Forfas to conduct a study into the level of awareness in Irish business of the year 2000 question.

Addressing the National Software Conference in Dublin yesterday, the junior Minister at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said that while the issue appeared to him simple, and one with many solutions, it was clear that the majority of business executives remained ignorant. This was the case for both large and small firms, outside the computing industry, he added.

"This is a recipe for disaster in these companies and serious problems for the economy as a result, unless things change quickly," he said.