A 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 woman (33) 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. We are talking about the youngest kids here. What do they care about the election," said Ms O'Brien.
"They were pushing stickers onto kids and Ivor Callely leaflets. It's just a weird thing to do. I thought it was fairly cynical. 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 said the school authorities had no prior knowledge of the electioneering event and were powerless to act in any event.
Despite calls to Mr Callely's mobile phone and several messages left with his constituency office and parliamentary office, there was no response.
The former junior transport minister is facing a tough battle to retain a seat in his native Dublin North constituency.