EDUCATION Minister Helen McEntee has denied a Government U-turn on phone pouches as new school guidance was issued on students’ use of mobiles.
National guidelines on restricting mobile phone use in schools have been issued after €9m in funding for phone pouches for secondary schools was announced in Budget 2025.
The opposition criticised the pouch funding as a waste of public money while the Government said the funding averaged out at around €20 per student.
In the Dail on Thursday, Tanaiste Simon Harris said the budget funding would be for all kinds of phone storage solutions rather than just phone pouches.
This includes lockable boxes, cubby holes or drop off and collection at the school office.
He said a new procurement process is to be published “in the coming days”.
He added: “This will not delay schools in applying for and accessing funding for phone-storage solutions.
“An application process will be open to post-primary schools soon and the issuing of funding will commence shortly thereafter.
“A new procurement process will be published in the coming days and then schools will be able to seek to apply to draw down funding and put in place the phone-storage solution that works best for them. This is a pragmatic and sensible way to proceed.”
Speaking on RTE Radio on Friday, Helen McEntee denied this was a U-turn and said it was “always the case” that the funds could be used for other storage solutions as well as phone pouches.
She said: There is absolutely no U-turn here.”
In the guidance issued on Friday, primary schools now require a policy to ban the use of and access to mobile phones during the school day.
Secondary schools require a policy to restrict mobile phone use during the school day, using the €9 million funding.
The Department of Education said the measure aimed to “enhance” student wellbeing, reduce cyber bullying and exposure to inappropriate content, and “promote” focus in school.
‘CONSISTENT APPROACH’
McEntee said: “First and foremost, this policy is about ensuring that our schools are phone-free learning environments.”
“Students should not be on their phones during the school day. This guidance and support will ensure all schools have the supports they need to achieve this, having regard to their own requirements.
“Having engaged with many different school communities across the country, I am confident that this policy will support student wellbeing, engagement and their interaction with their peers, while also recognising the experience and expertise of school communities and the need for consultation.”
She added: “This initiative empowers school communities to lead on the issue, backed by €9m in funding to allow post-primary schools to use the phone storage solution that works best for their school community and their students.”
The department said the method used to limit phone use will be decided by each school, and could include phone storage pouches or lock boxes, keeping phones in lockers, using classroom lockable boxes or cubbies, and drop-off and collection at the school office.
It said: “Schools will adopt a consistent approach for the full school day, with limited exemptions allowed for medical or compassionate grounds, as outlined in the guidance information.”
