Written answers
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Expenditure
9:00 pm
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Taoiseach the number and cost of mobile phones or such communications equipment issued to programme managers, advisers, press officers and departmental personnel during each of the past three years; and the annual billing cost of same. [19520/08]
Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The tables outline the number of mobile phones and blackberries provided by my Department to Programme Manager, Advisers, Press Officers and other Department personnel during each of the past three years, and the average cost of this equipment in each year.
Number issued:
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | ||||
| Mobile phones | Blackberries | Mobile phones | Blackberries | Mobile phones | Blackberries | |
| Programme Manager | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Special Advisers | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Press Officers | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Other Departmental Personnel | 38 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 26 | 22 |
| Total: | 46 | 20 | 29 | 7 | 32 | 26 |
Cost of equipment:
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | ||||
| Mobile phones | Blackberries | Mobile phones | Blackberries | Mobile phones | Blackberries | |
| Average cost of equipment per hand set | â'¬137.94 | â'¬205.25 | â'¬118.82 | â'¬224.37 | â'¬56.87 | â'¬195.97 |
Billing Cost:
The total number of mobile phones and blackberries in use in my Department and the annual billing cost in respect of these during each of the past three years are detailed in the following table.
| Mobile phones | Blackberries | Total Units | Total Billing cost | |
| â'¬ | ||||
| 2005 | 74 | 20 | 94 | 131,932 |
| 2006 | 103 | 27 | 130 | 147,142 |
| 2007 | 135 | 53 | 188 | 164,121 |
A breakdown of this cost in the format requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, an analysis of billing details for a sample month (November, 2007) is set out in the following table.
| Total mobile & blackberry charges in (November, 2007) | % of total | |
| â'¬ | % | |
| Programme Manager | 188.23 | 9.2 |
| Special Advisers | 1,361.69 | 12.4 |
| Press Officers | 1,826.73 | 1.3 |
| Other Departmental Personnel | 11,377.86 | 77.1 |
| Total: | 14,754.51 | 100.0 |
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