Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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221. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on providing fully accessible changing places and toilet facilities open to the public in all buildings which her Department owns and public bodies and agencies under her remit to offer people with disabilities and carers a network of equipped spaces to take care of personal hygiene, in safety and comfort. [38728/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Building Regulations 1997-2021 set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around such buildings. These come within the policy remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The provision of office accommodation for my Department, and for many of those bodies under the remit of the Department, such as the national cultural institutions, falls within the remit of the Office of Public Works.A number of these buildings are protected structures.

Many of the bodies under the aegis of my Department are public facing organisations, and therefore provide access to available facilities as part of their wider public-facing role.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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222. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way that her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit are implementing action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38746/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Overall responsibility for coordination of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In 2021, that Department announced that the NDIS 2017-2021 would be extended for an additional year.

My Department is represented on the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group (NDISSG) which is chaired by Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte T.D. The Group which comprises key government departments, the National Disability Authority and the Disability Stakeholders group meets on a quarterly basis to review the implementation of actions contained in the Strategy including those within the remit of my Department.

The NDA Independent Assessment of Implementation of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy for 2021 was published in April 2022. Under action 32, the report commended the Traffic Light updates provided by a number of bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Additionally, I am advised that my Department has established a Disability Consultative Committee as recommended under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy and has recently been assigned three representatives of the Disability Stakeholders Group.