A child’s first phone in Ireland: filters, spend caps and plans

Do Irish networks block adult content for children?

Some do, in different ways. Sky Mobile blocks 18+ sites by default, An Post Mobile blocks adult content for under-18s by registered date of birth, and Vodafone runs a network filter that prepay customers change in a store with ID. Three, Tesco Mobile and 48 describe filters with less detail, and the rest do not say.

“Not stated” means the network’s own pages do not say; it is not the same as “no filter”. An Post Mobile’s block depends on a date of birth on the account: if none is registered, there is no restriction. Vodafone accepts a passport, driving licence or national age card to lift its filter on prepay; Sky asks the account holder for a credit card and may take a €1 payment, credited back on the next bill.

What have Irish networks promised parents?

Under a 2021 industry code, eir, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone promised to let parents access and manage a child’s account where the law allows, and to publish information on parental controls. The code does not require filters to be on by default, and it notes that EU law obliges providers to give access to all legal content.

The code defines a child as anyone under 18 still in a parent’s or guardian’s care, and points parents to the controls built into phones themselves. It is a minimum: each network may add more. In 2024 Vodafone, Three, eir, Tesco Mobile, Virgin Media and An Post Mobile said they support the Government’s “Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free” guide, which helps parents of primary school children agree among themselves to delay buying smartphones. It is a voluntary agreement between parents, not a ban on selling phones to children.

What is a cheap plan for a child’s first phone?

For calls only, eir’s €10 prepay plan gives 3,000 Irish minutes but no texts or data, and must be topped up every 14 days. Lycamobile’s National S is €10 for 28 days with 5GB. Tesco Mobile notes that prepay carries no risk of high bills.

• Lidl Connect has one plan, €12.99 a month at the standard price, with no out-of-plan charges and premium numbers blocked. The account holder must be 18 or over and can give a child a line through multi-line.
• GoMo and Clear Mobile need the account holder to be 18 or over; both cap out-of-plan charges at €30 a month.
• Compare every plan by its first-year cost in the plan finder.

Can a child have their own mobile account in Ireland?

Often not: many networks require an adult account holder. GoMo, Clear Mobile and Lidl Connect require 18 or over. Lycamobile lets a parent register as an authorised person on an under-18’s account, and Tesco Mobile asks parents to register a prepay account and tell Customer Care that a minor will use it.

Three and Virgin Media put the duty on the account holder: their terms say you must switch off age-restricted services before letting anyone under 18 use the phone. The 2021 code adds that for a child under 16, a parent or guardian must consent to the processing of the child’s data.

How do you stop a child running up a phone bill?

Choose prepay, or a plan with a hard limit. Sky Mobile lets the account holder set a spend cap of up to €100 per SIM, GoMo and Clear Mobile cap out-of-plan charges at €30, and Tesco Mobile suggests setting a bill pay credit limit to 0. Three and Virgin Media say their credit limits are not budget caps.

• Virgin Media sets a €123 limit on spending over the plan; data, premium and international use are restricted first, and the line is suspended at the full limit.
• eir, GoMo and Lidl Connect bar premium-rate numbers or texts: eir and GoMo on request, Lidl Connect for everyone.
• Vodafone sells Secure Net at €1.99 a month per line, but its parental controls need Secure Net Home at €2.99 a month. eir’s Mobile Security app, €1.99 a month on bill pay, filters web addresses.

Can a child use a smartwatch with a SIM instead of a phone?

Only on a bill pay plan at the two networks that describe it. Vodafone OneNumber shares the main phone’s number and allowance for €5 a month, and Three’s Smartwatch Share pairs with a Three bill pay phone and works only in Ireland. GoMo says its eSIMs do not work on smartwatches.

Both share the number of the phone they pair with, so the watch does not get a number of its own. Vodafone’s OneNumber page shows two different Apple Watch prices, “from €24” and “from €29” a month, so check the price before you order. The other networks do not describe a watch plan.