Written answers
Tuesday, 4 July 2006
Department of Foreign Affairs
Information Technology
12:00 pm
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the information technology purchasing requirements, for both hardware and software, in his Department for the second half of 2006; the requirements for which tender requests have been issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26036/06]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The projected information technology purchasing requirements for the second half of 2006 is set out in the following table. The Department procures all its information technology requirements in accordance with EU and national procurement regulations and in consultation with the Department of Finance. Those requirements, for which tender requests have not yet issued, will be advertised in accordance with the procurement regulations and published on the Government's procurement website www.e-tenders.gov.ie.
| Budget to end of 2006 | |
| € | |
| Computer equipment Communications equipment and consumables | 6,609,272 |
| Computer software and Software maintenance/licenses | 4,381,429 |
| Total | 10,990,701 |
For 2006, tenders were issued as follows:
| Tenders issued | Company awarded contract |
| Servers Biometrics in passports Infrastructure, switches and routers Firewalls | Dell Bearing Point Lan Communications, Cara and Entropy Tender to issue |
| Video conferencing units Satellite phones | Systems Video AST Connections |
| PC's Printers | Department of Finance framework agreement Tender to issue |
| Antivirus solution. System replication solution | Tender to issue Deft |
| Consumables | Datapac, EDS, Supplies Team and Ergo |
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his Department's information technology purchasing policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26051/06]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs procures all its information technology requirements in accordance with EU and national procurement regulations and in consultation with the Department of Finance. The Department has recently established a Procurement Unit to oversee and to advise on all procurements in the Department, including on information technology procurements.
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 363: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the percentage of information technology spend in his Department that went to Irish SMEs in each year from 2002 to date in 2006; the percentage for European Union and European Economic Area SMEs; if systems are in place in his Department's procurement procedures to give preference to SMEs, such as the weighting system in place in the Local Government Computer Services Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26066/06]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs procures all its information technology requirements in accordance with EU and national procurement regulations and in consultation with the Department of Finance. The Department does not use company size or turnover as criteria for awarding contracts and as such does not have access to details relating to a respondent's SME status. The Department has no weighting system in place to favour any single business sector and endeavours to award contracts for its information technology requirements in an open and fair manner, ensuring the best value for money to the Department and to the Exchequer. The Department has no constraints which preclude SMEs from competing in or being awarded tenders issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the average size of information technology procurement contracts in his Department; the median size of such contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26081/06]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The average size of information technology procurement contracts currently awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs is €1,038,379. The Department's figure is unusually high due to the information technology elements of the biometrics in passports project underway at present.
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he is taking to support the development of the indigenous software industry through his Department's public procurement process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26096/06]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs procures all its information technology requirements including software in accordance with EU and national procurement regulations and in consultation with the Department of Finance. The Department endeavours to award all contracts for its information technology requirements in an open and fair manner, ensuring the best value for money to the Department and to the Exchequer.
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