Dept told that school pouch plan is causing 'confusion'

Mobile phone pouch company Yondr told the Department of Education that it was seeing "much confusion" about how the rollout of pouches for schools was going to work.

In response, the Department said that in the coming weeks, a request for tenders for the provision of phone storage solutions would be published.

It was announced in the Budget that €9 million would be allocated for the scheme to help secondary schools become phone-free.

The Department of Education received a series of emails from pouch company Yondr before and after the Budget.

In one correspondence, released to RTÉ News following a Freedom of Information request, the company expressed concerns about uncertainty regarding the scheme.

"We are seeing much confusion about how the procurement process for this might work," a Yondr executive wrote.

"We have a number of schools who were planning to use Yondr to become phone-free over the coming months who have now paused this until after the procurement process is announced.

"We are also receiving enquiries from brand new schools who are requesting information on the process, and would like to know when/if funding might become available," according to the email.

Yondr asked for guidance on the issue and the Department of Education replied that it has been working to establish a procurement mechanism for schools to access phone storage solutions.

"In this regard I can inform you that it is planned to publish a Request for Tenders in the coming weeks," a Department official wrote.

"It is hoped that this procurement mechanism will be available before the end of the school year. The process whereby schools who need to avail of the funding can apply will be announced in due course," the email stated.

The Department also received emails from two other phone pouch companies, Hush and Púca, looking for guidance on how the scheme will work.

They were also informed that a request for tenders would be published in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, Minister for Education Norma Foley strenuously denied a claim by Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty that she misled the Dáil over her engagement with Yondr.

The issue was raised by Mr Doherty during the final Leaders' Questions of the Government's term.

Mr Doherty had asked why it was not revealed that Minister Foley met with an executive from Yondr two years ago and received a pouch at that time.

He accused Ms Foley of misleading the Dáil on this issue.

A spokesman for Minister Foley said: "Minister Foley has held no formal meeting or discussion with Yondr, nor have any departmental officials.

"There is no question, therefore, of Minister Foley having misled the Dáil in relation to this matter," it added.

The Minister did meet a Yondr representative at the annual conference of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals in Galway in October 2022 but this encounter "lasted under 60 seconds" as she walked past education-related stalls that were set up in the hotel.