9m funding for phone pouches has been described as a ‘scandalous waste of money’ [Video]

Teachers have accused the Education Minister of throwing money at “a problem that is under control” with a multimillion-euro spend on mobile phone pouches dubbed a “scandalous waste of money,” writes Sarah McGuinness.

In Budget 2025, the Department of Education secured a €9m allocation for the ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ initiative, towards storage for students’ phones during the school day.

That compares with €15m that was allocated for 768 additional special needs teachers, and a €10m increase to capitation grant funding, used to cover day-to-day expenses in primary and secondary schools.

Education Minister Norma Foley called it “a health and wellbeing measure” yesterday.

In August Ms Foley, a Fianna Fáil TD for Kerr y, wrote to secondary schools signalling her intention to introduce a mobile phone ban.

But teachers’ unions say bans are already widely in place in most schools, accusing the Minister of distracting from more pressing issues.

Kieran Christie, general secretary of the …