Mother's anger at FF teddy bear stunt

A young mother today rounded on Fianna Fáil TD Ivor Callely after her young children were canvassed by adults in teddy bear suits outside school gates.

The 33-year-old woman insisted she was shocked by the former junior minister's electioneering stunt outside the junior girls school in the fiercely contested north Dublin constituency.

Damaris O'Brien, from Killester, demanded to know if the unknown figures in the teddy bear suits at Belgrove National School in Clontarf had been vetted before engaging with young children.

"Who the hell are these people in bear suits? I mean you just don't know who people are anymore and you hear all these horror stories about kids," she said.

The mother-of-three was collecting her four-year-old daughter at the school on Seafield Road on Friday last when she said children were canvassed by Mr Callely's campaign team.

"This was outside the junior infants," said Ms O'Brien. "We are talking about the youngest kids here. What do they care about the election?

"They were pushing stickers onto kids and Ivor Callely leaflets. It's just a weird thing to do. I thought it was fairly cynical."

Ms O'Brien said when she later went to collect her 10-year-old boy at the senior school she was greeted by the same spectacle of three or four people in teddy bear outfits approaching children.

Her eldest son was one of the young pupils approached by the unknown figures handing out stickers and leaflets.

"My son told them he can't vote and the guy slapped a sticker on him anyway," said Ms O'Brien.

"I do think it's slightly sinister what they are doing. I can't fathom the point of it all.

"Nobody was trying to canvass me in any meaningful way. They were just looking to push stickers onto kids saying: 'Ivor Callely No 1'."

Mary Kenny, principal of the junior girls school, confirmed teachers were concerned about the safety of the children during the canvassing stunt.

She stressed the school authorities had no prior knowledge of the electioneering event and were powerless to act in any event.

"At the end of the day we have no control about what happens outside the school gates," she said.

Despite numerous calls to Mr Callely's mobile phone and several messages left with his constituency office and parliamentary office there was no response to the concerns.

The former junior transport minister who has previously galvanised huge support at the polls is facing a tough battle to retain a seat in his native Dublin North constituency.

Fianna Fáil running mate Sean Haughey, Fine Gael's Richard Bruton and Independent Finian McGrath are all outgoing TDs in the traditionally four-seater constituency changing to a three-seater after this general election.

Mr Callely resigned from the cabinet a year-and-a-half ago after revelations that one of the country's biggest construction companies paid for work carried out at his home in the early 1990s.