Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent on purchasing mobile phones 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 phone company (details supplied) to supply mobile phones if needed; if so, the name of the company; the date on which the contract for the supply of mobile phones to his Department is next due to expire; and the robust steps taken to ensure that the costs incurred on work related phones are the best value for the taxpayer. [47913/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The following table shows the costs incurred in purchasing Mobile phones by year:

The allocation of mobiles phones is not based on grade but on business requirements.

The Department has a contract with Vodafone, which runs for an initial two year period with an option to extend by up to four 12 month terms. The initial two year term ends on December 4^th2020.

The contract was awarded following the completion of a robust tendering process undertaken in conjunction with the Office of Government Procurement and under the Framework Agreement for the provision of Mobile Voice and Data Communications and Associated Products and Services. Vodafone, as the successful bidder, was deemed to have offered the Department and the taxpayer the best overall value in terms of costs, technology, support and ancillary services.