Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 780: To ask the Minister for Health and Children 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. [33641/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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There are 180 official mobile phones/blackberries in use by officers of my Department. The users are mainly Assistant Principal and above. The Department has a framework agreement with Vodafone that gives unlimited landline calls both local and national and unlimited texts and calls to national mobiles (085, 086 and 087) for a fixed price per month of €18.50 plus vat. Officials incurring charges outside these parameters i.e. while abroad, have to sign off on all official calls and pay for personal ones themselves.

The costs incurred from 2007 to June 2010 are as follows:

2007: €193,168;

2008: €170,882;

2009: €133,743;

2010: €55,841.