Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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359. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the actions that he has taken to advance the recommendations of the National Women’s Council toolkit for local authorities on the way to encourage women into local government and support them to stay. [51925/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department and I have worked closely with the National Women’s Council for a number of years, and last month I officially launched their Toolkit for Local Authorities on Supporting Family-Friendly Local Government, in the Custom House.

This toolkit, funded by my Department, offers recommendations geared towards assisting both officials and councillors in making the role of local authority members more manageable and sustainable. This toolkit recognises that, while the issue of care disproportionately affects women, it also impacts all people who have caring responsibilities.

My Department has undertaken a wide variety of initiatives aimed at promoting the participation of women, inclusion and diversity in local government, through funding research, providing supports to organisations that deliver capacity building and training for women interested in local government, and annual calls for funding geared towards both political parties and local authorities. The latter calls for funding provide investment for innovative and forward-thinking projects which support wider inclusivity and diversity in local government decision-making structures, a number of which were outlined in the NWCI family friendly toolkit, such as workshops, training and information campaigns. This year, my Department expects, for example, to provide funding to Westmeath County Council for a feasibility study which will examine the infrastructure that would facilitate the childcare needs of councillors, along with the feasibility of providing a multi-purpose room and accessible car parking within the boundaries of the Council buildings. Westmeath County Council will also install a baby changing room on site using Department grant funding.