Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 324: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the amount her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [33636/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The following are the amounts spent by my Department over each of the last three years and the first six months of this year on mobile phone bills:

2007: €189,472.60;

2008: €173,039.57;

2009: €148,226.70;

2010: €66,310.85.

524 official mobile phones are currently in use by staff in my Department. My Department has a significant number of staff who provide services to schools around the country and are therefore not office base, such staff include the Inspectorate and Psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

An additional 88 mobile phones are provided for use by the Visiting Teachers Service who require them in the course of their duties.

The mobile phone operator currently holding the contract for supplying this service to my Department is Vodafone. The contract was awarded to Vodafone in June 2009 and was tendered for under the Government Framework Agreement.