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An example of a student unlocking a phone held in a pouch at the end of the day Alamy Stock Photo

Government issues tender for controversial €9m mobile phone pouch contract

The planned spend was one of the most contentious measures announced in last October’s Budget 2025.

THE CONTROVERSIAL PLANNED €9 million spend by the Department of Education to provide secondary school students with secure pouches for their mobile phones at post primary schools has moved a step closer.

This follows the Department of Education today issuing tender documentation for companies to compete for the estimated €9 million (including VAT) business for the contract for the ‘Provision of Secure Mobile Phone Pouches for Students in Post Primary Schools’.

The planned spend was one of the most contentious measures announced in last October’s Budget 2025.

In the aftermath, Sinn Finn leader, Mary Lou McDonald TD described it as “a scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money, particularly at a time when schools and our children are crying out for investment in mental health supports and special education, and schools are struggling to keep the lights on and keep buildings warm”.

The tender documentation states that there are 722 recognised post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland.

The tender states that “these include fee-charging schools which will not be eligible for the funding, but which may draw down goods using their own funding, under the proposed contract, if enacted”.

Explaining the background to the €9m spend, the invite to tender states that in Budget 2025, Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD announced that new funding would be available to post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme to support them in implementing a ‘no phone during the school day’ policy.

IT states that “this ring-fenced funding will be used by school principals and boards of management of schools in the scheme to help them implement a ban on the use of personal mobile phones by students during the school day through the purchase of secure storage solutions for students’ phones”.

The department’s Schools Procurement Unit is running the tender competition and the tender states that “the funding is intended to support positive wellbeing among all pupils and students, helping them to disconnect, learn and make friends without the distractions that can arise from the use of mobile phones.

It adds that “the funding is intended to support schools to implement the ban without adding to the need for additional supervision or time out of teaching”.

The tender documentation states that the department requires that the security portable pouches be of a high quality and designed to fit all makes and models of mobile phones.

It states that the pouches be durable to sustain the challenges of daily school use; be water resistant, made from non-irritable materials, be portable and light-weight and be lockable to prevent tampering, damage and breakage.

It also states that the firms provide unlocking devices for the proposed pouches and provide a two year warranty guarantee.

The tender puts an estimate of €7.3m (excluding VAT) on the contract.

The department states that it anticipates that a minimum of two tenderers and a maximum of five tenderers will be appointed individually as contractors as a result of the competition.

The tender states that an evaluation of the award criteria will include a physical evaluation of the proposed portable security pouches for mobile phone and associated unlocking devices.

The contract is to cover a two year period and the closing date for the submission of tenders is 26 February.

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