A local Sinn Féin TD says the ultimate responsibility for the botched re-opening of special education lies with the Education Minister.
While Matt Carthy acknowledged it's a "complicated situation" that was "never going to be easy", he says Norma Foley is "responsible for ensuring the education system operates effectively".
He also criticised the Education Minister for giving "too many false dawns" to those attending special education, adding that this is the "most regrettable thing to happen over the past couple of weeks".
Special schools had been due to re-open yesterday, but those plans were abandoned after unions and the Department of Education couldn't agree on how to do so safely.
Speaking on today's Joe Finnegan Show, the Sinn Féin TD hit out at Minister Foley for not fully engaging with teaching unions:
