Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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111. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the duration remaining on a contract with a company (details supplied) for the provision of digital radio services to An Garda Síochána and other emergency services; if no concession agreement exists in respect of this contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17950/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The current contract for the provision of radio services to An Garda Síochána and other emergency services is due to expire on 16 June 2019. This contract covers the provision of national narrowband secure digital radios network services as a managed service and as such no concession agreement was included in the contract.

Officials of my Department are engaged in a in a procurement exercise to establish a new replacement framework for the delivery of a nation-wide, narrowband, secure, managed digital radio service for voice and data purposes and for the supply of associated services. It advertised its intention to procure replacement services in January 2017 and is currently in the process of a competitive procedure with negotiation with Stage 2 RFT documents due to be published to pre-qualified candidates in Quarter 2 2019.

Officials of my Department are also in negotiations, which are at an advanced stage, to agree a variation agreement with the current supplier that would extend the current contract for a period of up to eighteen months.