Minister could consider ban on sales of smartphones to primary school pupils

The Education Minister brought forward the voluntary guidelines for parents last November, which followed Wexford becoming the first county where every primary school asked parents not to give their children smartphones.

It comes as six mobile phone networks confirmed they would back the Government’s guidelines which call on parents not to buy smartphones for children in primary schools.

These networks are Vodafone; Three; Eir; Tesco Mobile; Virgin Media and An Post Mobile.

Ms Foley said that she was pleased to receive support from the six network providers, which make up 95% of the mobile phone market across the country.

On a ban on sales of mobile phones to under-13s, Ms Foley said: “I’ve always been very clear, if that’s the step we have to take, then that’s the step we have to take and we will take it.

“I think the first step must be informed decision-making. When people speak of bans and all that, bans work when people understand why they should work.

“People can reference other bans that were brought in for a health point of view and everything else. They worked and were enforceable because people had sufficient information and understanding of why they needed to work.” 

Ms Foley said the providers all indicated that they had policies in place to prevent smartphones being sold to under-13s, but she said that this must be “assiduously” enforced.

“I’ve always been very clear that perhaps some of the key issues was really in the purchase of smartphones by adults for children,” Ms Foley said.

“We need adults to make the informed decision. We also know that if it's an adult purchasing the smartphone and if that’s not the case, it's an adult handing on their old smartphone when they get an upgraded phone themselves.” 

Ms Foley said that the department wants to co-operate with parents and guardians of primary school pupils to make “better-informed decisions”.