John Ellis
Question:170 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Finance when it is proposed to issue an up-to-date edition of the GTN directory for all Government Departments in view of the fact that the last directory was issued in 1996. [10066/98]
Written Answers - GTN Directory.
The GTN directory is now produced in electronic form through the GTN on-line directory service and there are no plans to issue further editions in printed form because: (i) the printed directory, which includes some 25,000 entries, becomes outdated in a relatively short time; (ii) the production costs are high both in economic and human resources terms; design and printing costs for the 1996 printed directory amounted to almost £60,000.
The GTN on-line directory service, which was developed by the Centre for Management and Organisation Development — CMOD — of my Department, provides access for civil servants at the desk-top and operates on the basis of participating Departments and offices keeping their individual entries up to date electronically. The service provides for the immediate replication of new or updated entries to all participating Departments and offices. Currently thirteen Departments and offices, the Houses of the Oireachtas, and the President's establishment avail of the on-line service and CMOD is actively engaged in expanding the service to all Departments and offices. The on-line GTN directory service not only includes telephone numbers, but also other relevant information such as fax numbers and Internet E-mail addresses of civil servants.