The use of camera phones of the type used by David Beckham in the TV advertisement looks set to be curtailed in secondary schools here.
The phones, which allow users to send an instant photo image to other users, are hugely popular with students. Yesterday however a senior school manager said he expected schools to limit their use during school hours amid concerns about "inappropriate use".
Several education authorities in Britain have already moved to ban the use of such camera phones amid concerns about their inappropriate use in locker rooms, classrooms and science laboratories.
Mr George O'Callaghan, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body which manages the majority of secondary schools, said there were dangers about the use of camera phones in "inappropriate settings".
While each school would have to work out its own code of behaviour, he believed a ban on their use during class times was likely.
As schools returned yesterday after the Christmas break, it appeared that camera phones were the de rigueur lifestyle accessory for well-heeled secondary students this Christmas.
It is estimated that several thousand camera phones - which retail at about €400 - were sold in the Republic over the holiday period.
Backed by an extensive TV ad campaign featuring David Beckham and Michael Schumacher, they have been a phenomenal success since their launch in October.
Vodafone claims to have sold 380,000 camera phones in the past two months across Europe - with sales of 150,000 in Germany alone.
Catholic parents meanwhile have backed moves to ban the camera phones.
Ms Barbara Johnston of the Catholic Secondary Schools Parents Association said there were inherent risks in allowing pupils to take instant photos in classrooms and other school situations.
The association supports a blanket ban on all mobile phones in schools from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day.
Mr O'Callaghan said school managers appreciated how the use of mobile phones were useful to parents who might be worried about the whereabouts of their children. However, they also had to look at the overall impact of mobile phones on daily school life.