685. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of mobile phones issued to staff in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and the total costs expended by her Department on handsets and phones bills over the same timeframe. [44868/24]

My department has been actively reducing the number of mobile phones in used by staff.  I have outlined the number of mobile phones issued, for the requested years, in tabular form below.  This is a record of the number of phones in use as staff can have the same phone for many years.  My department has a contract in place that ensures predictability of billing.  For this reason, the costs are withheld for commercial reasons.