Education Minister Norma Foley discussed the details of a near-€12bn budget package for the Department of Education at a press conference on Wednesday.
She said the move to bring in ‘phone pouches’ was to ensure there is a uniform approach to the problem of mobile phones in schools across the country.
However, opposition parties have criticised the move, with Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald describing it as a “scandalous waste of public money”.
“There is rightly huge anger at the government decision to use €9m on pouches for mobile phones,” Ms McDonald said.
“This is a scandalous waste of public money at a time when so many schools are struggling to pay for heating and to keep the lights on.”
The party leader said it showed a “wilful disregard” for the struggles that schools currently faced.
Ms McDonald has now written to the Taoiseach to ask for the immediate withdrawal of the proposal.
“Our education system is in desperate need of additional resources and that is where the €9m should be invested, not in pouches for mobile phones,” Ms McDonald said.
“The onus is now on the Taoiseach to act and to immediately withdraw this proposed waste of taxpayers money.”
Ms Foley had previously said she was considering a ban on mobiles in schools to “keep childhood smartphone-free”.
“We want a uniform approach where there will be no access to mobile phones throughout the school day,” the Education Minister said.
“So we have provided €9m 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.
“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 mobile phones while they’re at school, to acknowledge that they’re learning.
“All of the research tells us that their learning improves when they’re not constantly on the mobile phones.”
She said the average cost of a pouch was about €20 to €30, but that these would be bought in bulk.
The ordinary people of Ireland are asking, ‘Has this Government lost the plot?’
Meanwhile, the Dáil heard claims today that the school mobile phone pouches were “the latest example of the Government’s waste of money”.
The €9m cost demonstrates a government that has “proven time and time again that it plays fast and loose with taxpayers’ hard earned money”, Pearse Doherty TD told Jack Chambers.
In reply, the Finance Minister said Sinn Féin was engaging in “shallow, divisive politics” and told him he was playing with children’s mental health.
But Mr Doherty said the money should go elsewhere.
“We’ve seen an overspend of €1.5bn in respect of the National Children’s Hospital. You’ve spent €336,000 on the bike shed and €1.4m on the security hut,” the TD said.
“On phone pouches, the ordinary people of Ireland are asking, ‘Has this Government lost the plot?’
“This is just another example of a government that can’t be trusted with taxpayers’ money.”
Mr Doherty asked the minister whether, when he and colleagues sat round the Cabinet table and made the decision, “did not one person put up their hand and asked the question that maybe we should spend this money on the 100 children with additional needs that still don’t have a school place?
“Did not one minister at the table maybe say we should spend this money increasing capitation funding so that schools can actually cover their lighting or their heating bills?
“Did nobody at the Cabinet table put up their hands and say, ‘Why don’t we just ask the kids to leave their phones in their bags?’
“Spending €9m on phone pouches is inexcusable, particularly at a time when Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have underfunded schools across the State.
“Schools, most of them are struggling to pay electricity costs and heating costs.
“Budgets are all about choices, and when you choose to underfund our schools, it’s the parents, it’s the parents that pick up the slack.”
Glorified ‘zip-lock’ bags for mobile phones
Minister Chambers said however that investment in children’s welfare, in mental health and in dignity at school “is never a waste of money.”
He said it was a progressive and practical initiative to help support young people in learning at school.
“This policy is underpinned with clear evidence internationally. We have the UN and many European and other jurisdictions around the world demonstrating that this is a research-based initiative.
“It’s supported by parents of children all over our country, building on the success, of the ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone- Free’ initiative.
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) also criticised the allocation of €9m for mobile phone pouches in Budget 2025.
“I am flabbergasted over the allocation of €9m for glorified ‘zip-lock’ bags for mobile phones,” ISSU president Jack McGinn said.
“To put this figure into context, capitation funding for schools that covers heating and lighting costs is merely €10m.
“This will directly affect families as schools will be forced to rely on voluntary contribution fees to cover the funding shortfall that was not addressed in this budget.”
