Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 467: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of contracts held by his Department and its agencies with telecommunication providers; if he will provide details of these contracts including the name of the telecommunication provider and associated financial agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37296/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Fixed line telecommunication services are provided to my Department by Eircom plc. The contract for the provision of mobile voice and data communications for the Department has been held by Vodafone since 2008. A new tender competition under the National Procurement Agencies Framework Agreement has recently been held and my Department expects to announce the results of that competition shortly.

In addition my Department have 3 telecommunications providers which provide Wide Area Network connectivity to the Departments 3 sites. The providers are Eircom, Complete Telecom and Smart Telecom.

Value for money is a high priority of my Department and preparatory work is underway in my Department to enable it to go to tender for fixed line telecommunications under a new Framework Agreement recently put in place by the National Procurement Agency.

Telecommunication Services are invoiced on both a monthly and quarterly basis depending on the supplier. Invoices are paid in accordance with the Prompt Payments Act 1997.

The question of telecommunication services for the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for those agencies and as such is a matter in which I have no role.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of contracts held by his Department and its agencies with energy providers; if he will to provide details of these contracts including the name of the energy provider and associated financial agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37311/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Energy Services are provided to my Department by 3 energy providers. Bord Gáis provides gas to the Department's Headquarters at Adelaide Road. Energia supplies electricity to the Department's sites at Adelaide Road, Tom Johnson House in Beggars Bush and Sandyford. The ESB supplies electricity to the Department's decentralised office in Cavan.

Energia, a supplier of renewable power, were retained by the Department in 2006 under a tender competition put in place by the Commissioners of Public Works. I understand that competitions for electricity and natural gas frameworks have just been concluded by the National Procurement Agency and these will supersede the existing arrangements.

The financial arrangements associated with the current contracts are based on discounts from benchmark industry pricing standards. Gas and electricity supply are invoiced on both a monthly and two-monthly basis depending on the supplier. Invoices are paid in accordance with the Prompt Payments Act 1997.

Details of the energy costs for my Department are indicated below.

The question of the provision of energy services for the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for those agencies and as such is a matter in which I have no role.