Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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63. To ask the Taoiseach the number of mobile phones issued to staff in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and the total costs expended by his Department on handsets and phones bills over the same timeframe. [44869/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of the Taoiseach has a contract for the supply of mobile phones and associated services.

Mobile phones are provided to staff in the Department where a defined business need has been established e.g. where staff provide on-call services; where staff are required to work off-site regularly; and where staff regularly take calls/work outside of standard working hours, etc.

Staff who travel abroad on official business are placed on appropriate tariffs, where available, in order to reduce costs associated with international roaming.

All staff are required to reimburse the Department for any additional expenses incurred which are not related to official business.

Mobile phones are replaced when they are at ‘end-of-life’. The Department of the Taoiseach’s current mobile phone contract provides a mechanism to either purchase the mobile phone upgrade outright or to spread the cost of the upgrade over the term of the contract and avail of further reduced rates by doing so. Availing of the discounted rate is the preferred option and applies to all current phones.

The data requested by the Deputy is contained in the table below.