Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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63. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount spent on purchasing mobile telephones for staff within his Department for work-related business in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by grade; if his Department has a contract with a mobile telephone company (details supplied) to supply mobile telephones if needed; if so, the name of the company; the date on which the contract for the supply of mobile telephones to his Department is next due to expire; and the robust steps taken to ensure that the costs incurred on work related telephones are the best value for the taxpayer. [47922/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has spent the following amounts on mobile phone purchases from 2016 to date;

The figures above relate to handsets purchased in this country. Missions abroad are responsible for contracts with a large variety of local suppliers.

Information on grades is not maintained. Phones are allocated on the basis of business needs rather than grade. The Department has recently published a request for tenders to replace an expired contract with "Three" using the Mobile Phone Service Framework of the Office of Government Procurement. This will cover both mobile phone purchases and mobile telephony charges and ensure best value for the Department.