Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

136. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality 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. [47925/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The availability of mobile devices is a critical enabler which supports the work carried out across my Department and its Agencies. These devices are subject to the IT Acceptable Use Policy and specific policies with respect to mobile device use and security.

The following table sets out the amount spent on purchasing mobile phones for staff under my Department’s ICT Shared Service for work-related business in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. Mobile phone costs in the Department are not broken down by grade.

The ICT Shared Service covers the core Department and 33 other public sector bodies (agencies, executive offices, commissions of inquiry etc.), two which are in other Departments – the Charities Regulator in the Department of D/Community and Rural Development and the Children’s Detention Campus in Oberstown, which is under the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

My Department has a contract with Vodafone to supply mobile phones which is next due to expire on 1 March 2020.  

The contract was procured in accordance with public sector procurement guidelines and under the relevant framework of the Office of Government Procurement. OGP frameworks are designed to ensure that the most economically advantageous tender is selected in each case. My Department has a billing arrangement under the contract for an agreed set bundle cost per user, which covers mobile phone calls, texts and pooled data. This prevents users from exceeding their own bundle and incurring higher costs for non-bundle calls, texts or data. In addition, all users are precluded from sending premium texts and appropriate roaming settings are applied for officials travelling abroad for work.