Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Questions (1683)

Brian Hayes

Question:

1775 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Defence the amount his Department spent in each of the last three years and in the first six months of this year on mobile phone bills; the number of staff within his Department who have mobile phones paid by his Department; the mobile phone operator that has the contract for supplying this service; the tender, if any, that applies to the service being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33635/10]

Written answers

Minister for Defence (Deputy Tony Killeen)

The following table provides the information requested in relation to the total spend by the Department in each of the last three years and the first six months of this year on mobile phone bills:

Year	Total Expenditure Including VAT
	€
2007	52,057
2008	54,018
2009	52,703
January – June 2010	23,385

The number of staff within the Department holding mobile phones paid by the Department is 111. It is departmental policy that unofficial calls are subject to salary deduction. The mobile phone operator that has the contract for supplying this service is Vodafone. This contract was awarded in October 2009 using the Department of Finance mobile framework.