70 percent of special schools promised by the government in 2016 and 2017 have yet to get off the ground, according to a response in the Dáil last week.

Fianna Fáil's Disability Spokesperson Margaret Murphy O'Mahony posed a question regarding the 10 special schools that were supposed to start construction in the last two years.

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"What's clear from the PQ reply is that the government has only honoured its promises to three schools out of the original 10 so far," she said. "These pledges were originally made in late 2015 in the run up to the last General Election."

Mrs Murphy O'Mahony implied the promise could have been a "populist, political stunt designed to convince voters in these communities that Fine Gael cared about their children's education".

"Children with disabilities in these communities are in desperate need for these new facilities," she added. "Making promises to children and then not delivering isn't on in my opinion."

(CM/MH)