Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Mar 2000

Vol. 515 No. 4

Written Answers. - Personal Computers.

Alan Shatter

Question:

118 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason his Department disposed of approximately 72 personal computers in 1999; when these computers were purchased and their cost; and the individuals to whom they were discarded. [6432/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The following table sets out the year of purchase, the number disposed of by year of purchase, original value and value at disposal for personal computers disposed of during 1999.

Year of Purchase	Number of PCs	Original Value (approx)	1999 Value
1988	4	£2,300.00	£0.00
1989	1	£826.00	£0.00
1990	1	£1,868.00	£0.00
1991	2	£3,936.00	£0.00
1992	8	£12,826.00	£0.00
1993	22	£25,954.00	£0.00
1994	34	£49,289.00	£0.00
Total	72	£97,000.00	£0.00
		approximately

The computers were disposed of because they were unsuitable for use on the Department's local area network. The machines were given to schools, hospitals and other charitable bodies who were able to use the machines mostly as standalone devices. A small number of machines were given to departmental staff who regularly require access to a PC outside of office hours for departmental work. The bulk of the machines were given to schools or charitable bodies such as the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, Navan Road, Dublin, St. Paul's Primary CBS, North Brunswick Street, Dublin, Coláiste Muire, Cobh, County Cork, Scoil Mhuire, Navan Road, Dublin, New Life Centre, Darndale, Dublin, Central Remedial Clinic, Clontarf, Dublin 3, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, St. Colmans NS County Galway, Ardagh Community Council, Ballina, County Mayo, RMDS, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland, 213 north Circular Road, Dublin 7 and Mount Anville primary school, Stillorgan, Blackrock County Dublin.