Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, the use of mobile devices and smartphones has increasingly become a part of the daily lives of our children and young people. While this can be a positive experience, we must also consider the potential harm associated with the misuse and-or overuse of these devices and associated social media platforms, particularly for younger children. While smartphone usage is, by and large, well-managed during the primary school day, there are concerns about usage outside of school and the prevalence of online bullying. It is important to note that I am not aware of any of our primary schools where phones are being used during school time. The issue raised with us, and that continues to be raised by parents, concerns not what is happening in the school but what is happening outside school hours.

The well-being of all learners is a key priority of my Department, as well as the empowerment of parents and school communities through education and information. With this in mind, as the Deputy has said, I recently published guidelines for parents called Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free. These guidelines provide practical advice and suggestions to support parents and parents associations wishing to develop voluntary codes regarding smartphone use among primary school children. This initiative seeks to support parents who wish to come together with their school community to explore and agree on the best approach to mediate their children’s engagement with the online world, including adopting a voluntary code for their children to not have a smartphone until a certain time.

We are suggesting that would be after sixth class. Ultimately, the aim of this initiative is to ensure the necessary supports and resources are available to inform and enable parents to support their children to navigate the online world safely and ethically.

The Department is acutely aware of the importance of online safety for children and continues to ensure there are extensive training and curricular supports available to assist schools and our school communities. A key resource in training and the provision of supports is the vital work undertaken by Webwise. Its role is focused on raising awareness of online safety issues and good practice among students and their parents and teachers. The new supports announced earlier this month will bolster the capacity of Webwise to educate and inform and continue to raise awareness.

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