Picker Pals Programme to benefit Mayo schools
Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon, has announced funding of nearly €380,000 for the Picker Pals Programme, which will see the programme delivered to 966 classrooms across the country for this school year (2026-2027).
Launching this year’s programme, Minister of State Alan Dillon said: "I'm delighted to announce €380,000 in funding – to continue to support Picker Pals across Ireland, with nearly 1,000 classrooms involved in the programme again this year.
“This programme demonstrates how we can foster a lifelong passion for protecting our environment from an early age. By enabling children to take the lead in driving action in their communities, we're helping to create a sustainable culture with lasting benefits for future generations. “It is great to see that teachers and students absolutely love it, and their passion has made the programme a massive success.”
Picker Pals is active in every county in Ireland, helping to foster environmental responsibility from a young age by getting children directly involved in caring for their communities.
A spokesperson for St. Anthony’s Special School, Castlebar said: “The pupils in our school absolutely love being a part of the Picker Pals and helping to pick up litter whenever they are out for walks. This year has been so good that younger pupils are asking to bring the litter pickers home to pick up litter around the local area without being told to. I feel Picker Pals is something very achievable for our school and students.”
To promote sustainable use of equipment, schools will receive packs on a 50:50 basis. New schools receive a Full Programme Pack, including all necessary equipment and learning materials. Many returning schools receive a Booster Box, which enables them to reuse existing equipment while benefiting from refreshed educational content.
The programme is further enriched with: monthly themed classroom lessons covering key topics such as Litter, Biodiversity, The Circular Economy, Active Travel and more; live online lessons and interactive Kahoot quizzes, that help students to deepen their understanding in fun and collaborative ways; engaging thematic videos on ‘Picker Pals TV’.
The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment's support ensures that the programme remains completely free for schools, removing barriers to participation and enabling long-term impact at scale.
There is still time, albeit limited, for more schools to join the programme for this school year. For more information on the Picker Pals programme visit here.
The final list of schools partaking during the 2026-2027 school year will be published over the coming weeks.