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LAST UPDATE | 2 Oct 2024
TEACHERS HAVE CRITICISED the government’s decision to allocate €9 million in the Budget for equipment to store students’ phones during the school day.
Schools will be able to choose the type of storage they spend the money on, with some options including ‘pouches’ with special locks or electronic lockers, but critics have suggested the money could have been better spent on other pressing needs in schools.
The Department of Education intends to have the measure rolled out before the end of the 2024/2025 school year, The Journal understands.
The idea is that students can still have the phone on their person so that parents can contact them on their way to and from school but that the student is prevented from using the phone during school hours.
Once the phone is put into the pouch or other storage system, it is sealed and can only be opened by the school, which will be done at the end of the school day.
Some teachers and parents have been critical of the decision, suggesting the money could be spent better elsewhere – and that teenagers will find workarounds to the phone restrictions.
John Boyle, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, which represents primary school teachers, said it “beggars belief” that the allocating for storing phones was “prioritised over the real needs of our cash-strapped schools”.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said in a statement that schools are in a worse position to tackle “the challenges posed by mobile phones” now than they would have been years ago before cuts to posts of responsibility, adding that “pastoral supports must be enhanced” to help students deal with challenges.
More money for phone pouches than the increase to primary capitation.
— Trina Golden (@CatrionaGolden) October 1, 2024
I don't have appropriate words to share my thoughts on that.
I'll wait for the full education run down tomorrow, but this is possibly the worst Education budget (based on highlights) in a decade. https://t.co/OTlO9xL6qw
€9 million for
— Niamh Cullen (@dubteachernc) October 1, 2024
Phone pouches. €9 MILLION EURO. I cannot even begin to voice how utterly ridiculous this is. I just can’t. How is this a top government priority. Schools screaming about SET and support and resources for years. 🤯🤯🤯
Instead of spending €9 million on phone pouches, it could be spent on any of the following:
— Simon Lewis 👨🏻🎓🎙📌✍🏽 (@simonmlewis) October 1, 2024
- 273 SNAs
- 180 teachers
- 167 speech and language therapists
- 160 occupational therapists
- 112 educational psychologists
- 26 Dáil bike shed
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, the party’s education spokesperson, said that “with schools around the country struggling to pay their bills or for basic classroom materials due to shortfalls in capitation funding, it beggars belief that the Government should squander millions on phone pouches”.
“There are plenty of other areas where the €9 million for phone pouches could be better spent, including increased investment to reduce class sizes in primary schools along with the recruitment of additional teachers and SNAs,” Gannon said.
Some schools in other jurisdictions, including in Northern Ireland, have recently introduced the use of magnetic pouches that keep the phone locked inside during the school day.
The pouches are also used at some concerts and other events where organisers want to prevent attendees from using their phones.
At a press conference this afternoon, Education Minister Norma Foley said that while schools have already been doing “great work in this space”, the Department wants “a uniform approach” where there would be no access to mobile phones throughout the school day.
When asked about the €9 million cost, Foley said the Education budget almost totals €12 million and has allowed the Department to prioritise “across a variety of areas”, including access to free school books and reduced school transport costs.
She pointed to national and international studies that have highlighted the negative effects having continuous access to a mobile phone has on children.
“The €9 million is a health and wellbeing measure. It’s to improve student learning outcomes, to improve sociability and to improve mental health and student experience within schools.”
She said the pouches will cost between €20 and €30 each. The Department will begin discussions with schools on the ground, with the Minister saying there will most likely be a framework put in place that schools can draw down from.
This will see the pouches purchased in bulk, which would “reduce the cost for the schools individually”.
“It is our ambition that we will be in a position to have that scheme rolled out in the 24/25 school year,” she said, adding that the Department are “very keen” to hear if schools have other phone storage solutions that they might like to see put in place.
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Totally agree with Aer Lingus Pilots on their probability to go on Strike and I’m a regular flyer with Aer Lingus
No pay rise since 2019 even the lowest paid worker would have had a pay rise since then
@Geoff Bateman: – absolutely. I cannot understand how people would side with AL on this. They’re nothing but bootlickers
@Geoff Bateman: €250,000 is the current wage (I think).
@Thesaltyurchin: that’s a captain at the very top of the pay scale flying all his life. Basic is about €60,000 for the copilot
Well let’s hope they don’t strike and ruin hard working families holidays. The pilots are being very greedy with their demands.
@Sean Money: Are they not hard working? They haven’t had an increase since 2019 apparently so they’re essentially just keeping up with inflation, preserving the value of their pay compared to 2019, with a small percentage on top. That’s not greedy to me….. Their company is making huge profits and growing. Fair play to them I say. Hope they win. Their management are to blame here with their tight purses so I’d be directing any anger at them. It’s not 2019 anymore.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: didn’t seem to mention the interest free loan they received, did you mention the pension they receive? Do you mention the staff travel they receive via ID90 and company travel? Greed greed greed
@Sean Money: let’s hope the company avoid the strikes by giving them a reasonable and fair increase in pay. Not having a pay increase in the last 5 years is effectively a pay cut! The average increase in wages since 2019 is 24%. These men and women have received zero in that same period.
@Éanna o Sca: No I didn’t because it’s about wage increases……They have a perk of staff travel and a pension. WOW call the newspapers with that shocking information…… Don’t know anything about a loan…… Are they supposed to do nothing while their salary gets eroded via inflation while the company makes mega profits and gives them a BS offer. The offer is a 10% pay cut compared to 2019 due to inflation. No pilots no flying, they do the big important job for the airline…… Civil service has around 20% since 2019 with their agreements….. Wonder how much management’s salary has increased
@Éanna o Sca: To also point out. Other Aerlingus staff received a better deal than what’s on offer to the pilots percentage wise as far as this article shows:
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Just wondering, if aer lingus was still still a semi state entity would you be still of the same opinion? Don’t forget, our FFG/Labour leaders sold it off for 30 pieces of silver when it was making huge profits after a lot of sacrifice by the staff. Just wondering.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: my heart bleeds for them and their €100k plus salary right up to €230k
What about the junior doctors / teachers / nurses? Did you get their take on it?
Re:Pension – they contribute 5% and company contributes 20%, is this normal?!
I suggest you ask AL pilots exactly what they get.
@Fr. Fintan Stack: Yes I would. If they were still semi state they would probably have something in line with the public sector increases which is about 20% from 2019 to 2025. EI management are a shambles to have allowed this to get to this point with what appears to be an insulting offer. Especially after COVID. Less than other EI staff percentage wise. Management also used COVID to bring in lower pay scales for new entrants apparently which is another shocking play. ……. If they were still still semi state they would be giving back a tidy profit to the exchequer yearly….. I’m not sure what point you were trying to make
@Éanna o Sca: ah good old Irish begrudgery at its best.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: The average aer lingus pilots wage is €88,287, which is 86% above the national average. Let me know of one sector outside of government whose wages increased with the rate of inflation. Aer Lingus reports operating loss of €82 million for Q1 2024 so please do let me know where the massive profits you assume they are making come from? IAG have generated 68million for Q1, but that’s not from aer lingus. If the pilots arent careful the airline wont be sustainable and their greed will cost them their jobs.
@Unridden Ana: Wrong, the average pay increase since 2019 is 13%. Aer Lingus pilots earn 86% more than the average wage. 24% is not justifiable. If they don’t like pay and conditions, look elsewhere. Its pure greed and they are taking advantage of the holiday season which is an attack on the average member of the public who work hard for their holidays. Aerlingus operates at a loss as it is. They don’t deserve the 24%
@Éanna o Sca: What about them? Didn’t they got around 20% with current govt pay agreements?!?! As is my understanding pilots have had none since 2019 and 9.5% is on the table. Inflation is 20%+. Nobody wants the value of their pay cheque to be reduced….. Pilots pay 11% into pension, loads of ALs due to shift work and the stressful nature of the job I assume, 30+ days…. I think everyone should be getting pay rises to keep up with inflation and I think it’s even worse when a highly profitable company doesn’t respect it’s staff enough to do it. Also, even with any pay increases the govt are fleecing us with out of date taxation thresholds as if inflation hasn’t exploded. Their take has! Why don’t you train to be a pilot and get some of that high salary?
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: don’t be getting nasty now! I have and I am
@Mike Carson: I think asking 98% of the balloted pilot body who are clearly not satisfied with their their pay and conditions ‘ to look elsewhere’ for a job would have a worse affect on ‘the average member of the public who worked hard for their holidays’. Who will get them there? I wouldn’t put myself forward to the board anytime soon if I were you.
They are asking to be compensated fairly in line with their colleagues and for an increase in pay in line with inflation. I’m unclear as to how that could deemed ‘not justifiable’.
@Éanna o Sca: How is that nasty? That’s generally the line when dealing with someone so vigorously giving out about someone’s great terms and conditions. You’re a pilot?!?!
@Mike Carson: they had a profit of €225m last year, so you’d want to get your facts right. Google “CSO figures wage increase” and come back to me where it says average was 13%. Oh and stop embarrassing yourself in the comment section
@Unridden Ana: The difference between average wage between 2019Q1 and 2024Q1 is 25.6% according to CSO…. Bonkers!…… Need to get onto my employer!!!! Must be all the management level increases while keeping the average worker down!
https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/earnings/earningsandlabourcosts/send
@Mike Carson: aer lingus is not semi state. It is owned by a English Co. Enda and Co gave it away
Does anyone know of any pilot not living in an upmarket area with a car that’s worth less than 50k.
Yes they deserve an increase but their plight needs to be put in perspective and both airline and pilots need to be fair and reasonable.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: I think a 25% increase is reasonable considering they haven’t had a pay rise in 5 years. Where they live and what car they drive is irrelevant. Good for them for standing up to their greedy and miserly paymasters
@M To The B: not irrelevant at all. They are in the top quartile and not struggling existensially.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: That doesn’t mean that they should be taken advantage of by Management.
It isn’t about what other jobs pay, or whether individual pilots are suffering. That isn’t a relevant argument to refuse to discuss salaries .
@Tricia G28: it’s a natural levelling over time based on more accessing the profession and increase in technologies to support pilot. The days of a pilot being a God are gone. He’s got a safety related role just as a flight controller, aircraft engineer or a public bus driver or a train driver. All safety related jobs with requirement for getting it right every time.
They’re going to have to make them a realistic offer. I was shocked to see that Co pilots start on €59k while their long haul captains earn €287k a year.
@Paul O+Brien: That’s in order to pay back training costs
@seanmoney You might consider that the threat that looms over ‘hard working families holidays’ and the ability to bring things to a resolution lies with the well paid senior management team in Aer Lingus and not with its staff. It’s been well documented that the issues around pay have been ongoing for several years. You might also consider that the ones being ‘very greedy with their demands’ are actually the management, stakeholders and shareholders of a company worth billions of euro. A simple google search will tell you that BA pilots who are owned by IAG, the same parent company as Aer Lingus were awarded the same pay increase that they are now refusing to award to Aer Lingus pilots. I certainly wouldn’t do the same work as my colleagues for less pay.
@: BA is making money Aerlingus is losing money, which is why ba pilots earn more. Also, BA flies more long-haul flights, where pilots earn more.
Wrong, €225 million profit in 2023. Forecasting growth this year.
https://mediacentre.aerlingus.com/pressrelease/details/108/19118#:~:text=Aer%20Lingus%20recorded%20an%20operating,haul%20and%20long%20haul%20routes.
Looking for the same percentage increase is not the same as looking for the same salary. 9.5% offer is a joke. Other Aerlingus staff agreed 13%.
https://m.independent.ie/business/aer-lingus-staff-to-get-almost-13-pay-rise-and-lump-sum-payment-to-combat-cost-of-living-crisis/a2085901733.html
A pilot lives three doors down from us in a very ordinary estate and drives a family saloon. I don’t know his income but his lifestyle, on the surface, seems to indicate nothing extraordinary.
Heard Michael O’Leary on Pat Kenny show this morning spouting unadulterated tosh
In relation to Aer Lingus pilots he boasted that Ryanair had restored pilots pay to precovid levels and had a four year deal worth ,I think, 14%. He then went on to say that Aer Lingus pilots were engaging in industria lblackmail for looking for an equivalent deal. Spoofing.
@Padraig O’Brien: Wish he’d run for office, everything he said about infrastructure is 100% on the nose, currently we’re just no able
@Thesaltyurchin: Why do people still believe the nonsense that a successful business person, focused only on profits could then lead a country where the intent should be to improve the lives of every (most) citizens? They’re two opposing ideologies.
@Tricia G28: Every aspect of life carries contradiction, we too as a people need to build things to provide ourselves with necessary infrastructure to live, but we’re a reactive people with little social foresight. I would think a ‘business person’ who works in transport and deals with the associated logistics on a daily basis would potentially be a really good person to build some infrastructure here, particularly in the Transport sector. Potentially he could save money and deliver to schedule, he certainly talks about transport far more than our Transport Minster who hasn’t mentioned anything to help the hundreds of thousands of commuters. Maybe Eamon Ryan can do it, he’s siting there smiling like he has a plan anyway.
Give the pilots what they deserve.
I have been on a good few scary flights over the years (3 of those with aer Lingus) and I am always glad to know that’s there a trained, skilled person behind that door. We take for granted what these people do on a daily basis.
Same with all company’s take all give little in return always the way people are sick of it now
They are looking for an extra 50k on top of what they earn already. I would be grateful for the 50k a year, just saying.
@Annette: become a pilot then. You ready for the early mornings, missed family events, responsibility of 300+ lives literally in your hands, thunderstorms and high winds? If you’re not willing to sign up to that and more, then don’t begrudge the guys and girls who are willing to do so getting paid for it.
@Unridden Ana: I’m not begrudging anyone. But that’s their chosen profession. I will probably guess the cabin crew have to give up their lives as well. Sacrificing something for their profession. A lot of us had to do it in some way.
@Unridden Ana: a navy rating has to put up with these things too.
@Unridden Ana: Are you willing to pay 24%+ more for your flights? You honestly believe any employer at any level can afford to pay 24% of a pay rise. Aerlingus is operating at a loss of 82 million. What about ground staff and air steward’s? They have a harder job than the pilots locked away in the cabin. They have to deal with unruly passengers, sick passengers, and everything in between. All a pilot has to do is take off, land, and follow directions from air traffic control. The rest is automatic. I do begrudge someone who accepts a job and makes the general public suffer because they want more money later. They already earn, on average, 86% above the national average wage. As per your off-the-cuff comment, if they want management-level pay, maybe they should quit being pilots and become managers.
have your say