Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Ceisteanna (1077)

Brian Hayes

Ceist:

1168 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform 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 the Department who have mobile phones paid by the 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. [33642/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Law Reform (Deputy Dermot Ahern)

The amount spent on mobile phones in my Department was as follows, 2007 €283,444; 2008 €211,156; 2009 €74,522; and to the end of June 2010 €26,308. The most recent data indicates that there are currently 141 mobile phones in use by staff of my Department.

The current contract for supply of this service is with Vodafone. Following an EU procurement exercise, a Mobile Framework has been established to provide non-commercial public sector bodies with a simple way to procure Mobile Voice and Data Services at competitive rates from a list of qualified vendors. This tender was restricted to qualified vendors under the Mobile Framework.