Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the budget available to his Department for IT expenditure in 2010 and 2011; the provisions within his Department for the purchasing of IT equipment; the efforts that are being undertaken to ensure value for money and cost reductions in this regard; if there are budgets and procedures in place for the purchasing of IT equipment for each State agency under his remit for 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23448/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Total IT expenditure in my Department and its Statutory Offices in 2010 was €6,334,328 and the budget for this expenditure for 2011 is €6,450,921. The amounts include purchase of IT hardware, software and services but do not include cost of telecommunication services.

All IT purchasing within my Department and in all Offices and Agencies under my remit is subject to general public procurement rules, including requirements for competitive tendering. My Department and the Offices and Agencies under my remit are subject to a number of additional policy provisions to ensure best practice and value for money in IT procurement. These include a requirement to prepare an ICT Start of Year Statement and corresponding End of Year Statement, detailing all IT expenditure, which is subject to approval by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department has appropriate governance and project management processes in place; and this is achieved by having an ICT Steering Committee and through the use of project management methodology. Also, under Department of Finance Circular 02/09 on Arrangements for ICT Expenditure in the Civil and Public Service, public bodies must implement measures to reduce reliance on external service providers, and my Department has taken steps to achieve this, including bringing forward proposals to deliver IT helpdesk services in-house.