Disability groups have called for a review of building regulations, following a study which found that disability measures were being ignored by builders and architects.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) study found that only 4 per cent of new housing developments under construction in Dublin were accessible to people with disabilities.
Since 2001, all new dwellings must be accessible to people with disabilities under Part M of the Building Regulations. This covers areas such as level entrances and "dished" footpaths.
However, no authority inspects buildings to ensure that they comply with disability requirements.
Michael Ringrose, chief executive of People with Disabilities in Ireland, said the regulations amounted to nothing more than "lip service" because responsibility for implementation rested with building owners, designers and builders.
According to the NDA study, 75 per cent of one-off houses outside Dublin and one third of rural housing schemes did not have level entrances and so were unlikely to comply with Part M.
"Some people involved in construction who were met in the course of this survey were surprised to learn Part M applied in rural areas," the NDA study reported.
Mr Ringrose said the law, as it affected accessibility for people with disabilities, was not working. "It simply could not work in its present form," he added.
