Department issues tender for phone pouches in secondary schools

The pouches must 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. File photo: Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

The Department of Education's planned €9m spend on mobile phone pouches for secondary school students has moved a step closer with the issuing of tender documents.

Companies are being asked to compete for the estimated €9m (including VAT) business for the contract for the 'Provision of Secure Mobile Phone Pouches for Students in Post Primary Schools'. The €9m spend turned out be one of the most controversial measures announced in October’s budget.

Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, described the proposal 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 said there are 722 recognised post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland, which "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”.

The tender states 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 “the funding is intended to support schools to implement the ban without adding to the need for additional supervision or time out of teaching”.

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

The pouches must 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.

The firms must provide unlocking devices for the proposed pouches and a two-year warranty guarantee. The tender puts an estimate of €7.3m (excluding VAT) on the contract.

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