Minister Foley has previously said she was considering a ban on mobiles in schools to “keep childhood smartphone-free”.
As part of the overall €11.8 billion budget allocated to the department, €9 million will go towards schools implementing a ban.
The money is to be used for the purchase of pouches to store the phones during the day and to ensure that there is a “uniform” approach to phone use in all schools.
“We want a uniform approach where there will be no access to mobile phones throughout the school day,” Minister Foley said.
“So we have provided €9 million for that, for the purchase of things like pouches or whatever types of solutions that might be identified by the school, and schools will verify what those solutions might be,” the minister added.
Minister Foley said she wants the initiative rolled out by the end of this school year in 2025.
“It is our ambition that we will be in a position to have that scheme rolled out in the 24/25 school year.
“It’s a very positive, proactive step to encourage young people to take a mental break from the from the mobile phones while they’re at school, to acknowledge that they’re learning, as all of the research tells us that their learning improves when they’re not constantly on the mobile phones,” the minister said.
The minister said the average cost of a pouch is approximately €20 to €30 but that they will be bought in bulk.
Opposition TDs have been critical of the funding allocated to the phone pouches, with Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon calling it “a scandalous waste of money”.
“With schools around the country struggling to pay their bills or for basic classroom materials due to shortfalls in capitation funding, it beggars belief that the Government should squander millions on phone pouches,” Deputy Gannon said.
Michael Collins, leader of Independent Ireland told the Dáil the €9 million to be spent on mobile phone pouches in school was a waste comparable to that of the Office of Public Works in recent revelations.
Speaking on the Budget in the Dáil, he claimed the OPW was scared of accountability. “The OPW spent the money on the bike shed. they spent the money on the security hut. and it’s spent all over the place.
“In Schull Garda station. a number of years ago, they were told there was a leak when they were putting up the roof initially, and they walked away,” he claimed.
“Two years left, and they had to spend two hundred thousand euro on the roof, which is a waste. There is continuous waste,” he said.
During a press conference following the budget on Tuesday, Minister Foley said the capitation grant for schools would be increased by 12pc, to help with the day to day running of schools.
While the minister acknowledged the pressure parents feel to support schools with a voluntary contribution, the minister would not say that she would call on schools to not ask voluntary contributions.
“I acknowledge the great work that schools do to recognise burden on parents but we’re providing more and more funding now and we’re asking them to be cognizant of that, to continue to be cognizant of that going forward,” she said.
