Colm Burke ‘furious’ over claim school time used for leaflets

Cork-based Fine Gael senator Colm Burke has said he is “furious” following online allegations that teenagers were tasked with inserting his leaflets into a community newsletter during school time.

Screenshots are circulating on social media of what appears to be messages from a school pupil alleging that they were asked to insert flyers from Mr Burke into a newsletter during school hours.

A teacher who runs the newsletter at the centre of the allegations has denied the claims, which emerged on Twitter.

Screenshots of text messages — the first apparently sent at 12.25pm yesterday — states there are “about 5 of us in a class of double woodwork” where the teacher “has us just putting leaflets into magazines listening to reggae”.

The screenshot also shows a picture of a leaflet from Mr Burke.

The Irish Examiner contacted Mr Burke, who said he was “shocked” when he saw the allegations.

He said he pays a fee to The Glanmire News so that it will insert his leaflets into the community freesheet, but that he has “no hand, act, or part” in how the distribution is handled.

He said he was “furious” over online allegations that he knowingly allowed schoolchildren to do such promotional work on his behalf.

He later issued a statement in which he said the practice “is highly unconventional and inappropriate”, and done without his knowledge.

“On finding out about this incident, I contacted the school and instructed they cease the involvement of their pupils, and I have also followed up with the newspaper to ensure that it never happens again,” he said.

The Irish Examiner contacted Mick Young, a secondary school teacher who runs The Glanmire News.

He said he does pay some students to distribute the newsletter, but that it is done in their spare time with their parents’ consent.

Mr Young said allegations he asked students to carry out such work during school hours were “incorrect”.

He said he occasionally brings in materials for his newsletter into his woodwork room and that some students may have found the leaflets there.

The Irish Examiner contacted the secondary school at the centre of the allegations. A representative took a message, but no response to queries were received in time for this article’s publication.