THE Department of Home Affairs said on Tuesday it is geared to issue hand-written birth, marriage and death certificates in the event of any computer failures linked to the change of year to 2000. In a statement in Pretoria, the department assured the public that its systems are Y2K compliant, saying there is no need for concern that important records or data may be lost. However, the department’s computer systems were also dependent on other service providers such as electricity suppliers. Should any failure occur, the statement said, the department has introduced a number of contingency plans, including the issuing of hand-written temporary passports in emergencies.