THE Church of Ireland rector who traced Barack Obama's Irish roots has resigned from a school board in a dispute involving Michael Lowry.
Canon Stephen Neill is angry that the North Tipperary TD was allowed to openly target Borrisokane Community School for votes.
A letter from Mr Lowry seeking votes was sent home with students to give to their parents ahead of the recent general election.
Mr
Lowry topped the poll in North Tipperary but has been the focus of
national attention in recent days in the wake of the damning Moriarty
report.
He had maintained in the letter that he played a key role in securing a new building for the school in Borrisokane.
Canon Neill has resigned from his position on the school's board of management over the issue.
Compelled
"The
reason that I felt compelled to take this action was the facilitation
by the school in the distribution of political electioneering material
by minors and the subsequent refusal of the principal to acknowledge
that this decision sanctioned by him was an error of judgement," he
added.
He said that he felt pupils and the principal were victims
of what another board of management member branded "cute hoor
politics".
"Regardless of what undemocratic leverage Deputy Lowry
was able to exert on the previous government, it represents the worst
of parish-pump politics and is hardly something to celebrate or use
children to promote."
The rector said the school "could and should" have refused Mr Lowry's request.
School principal Matthew Carr
said some politicians had written to parents and students, but these
letters were given out by the school to protect the personal data of
students.