The government has finally abandoned their plan to spend €9m on phone pouches for schools but are still refusing to give schools autonomy over how the money is spent, according to Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins.
“In the Dáil today, the Tánaiste announced a screeching government u-turn. Instead of their much vaunted plan to spend €9m on phone pouches for schools, schools will now have autonomy to apply for funding and use it for their preferred ‘phone storage solution’.
“Given phone pouches can be replaced by a teacher putting phones in a cardboard box, and that many schools already have these phone storage solutions in place, the Tánaiste must now clarify if this money is being ringfenced for phone storage alone.
“If that is the case, it just means that a diluted version of the former minister’s pet project is continuing, with the government trying to save face by giving schools an illusion of autonomy.
“The reality for schools is that many of them are so cash-strapped that they are struggling to keep the lights on. A new survey today has revealed that a record number have had to apply to the Department for emergency funding.
“In that context, it is completely tone-deaf for the government to insist that €9m should go on phone storage. Everyone agrees that phones should not be used during the school day, but most schools have already dealt with this as an issue.
“Given this €9m fund is going to be retained, there should be much more leeway for schools to apply to fund programmes, and equipment, that they really need.”
June 12th, 2025