28 per cent of the children surveyed reported that they could go online whenever they wanted.

The scammers say that they are calling from a garda station and have a recovered phone they believed was stolen the night before

Education Minister Norma Foley made her comments as she liaised with school management about how to implement a ban on mobile phones.

Mr Crone was responding to reports that Minister for Education Norma Foley plans to ask second-level schools to ban the use of mobile phones by students during the school day

A number of items were taken, including phones.