2329. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all external legal fees incurred by her Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41497/25]
2330. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41515/25]
2331. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41533/25]
2332. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41551/25]
2333. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the internal oversight that exists within her Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41569/25]
2334. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41587/25]
2335. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41605/25]
2362. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will be working alongside the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to support and implement the “Action Plan for Women in Business”, drawn up by Enterprise Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41948/25]
2363. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted the assessment of access referenced in the Programme for Government to finance and financial services for women from minority groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41952/25]
2365. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the establishment of maternity, paternity and adoptive leave policies for all elected representatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42041/25]
2366. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department have had with childcare providers to determine how to reduce the administrative burden on providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42042/25]
2367. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress her Department has made in trying to reduce the administrative burden on providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42043/25]
2368. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on planned changes to the planning guidelines for childcare facilities to facilitate more applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42044/25]
2369. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the transformation of the supply management unit into a forward planning and delivery unit to determine the supply of childcare needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42045/25]
2370. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made to purchase or build state owned childcare facilities to create additional needs in areas who have the most unmet need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42046/25]
2371. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made by her Department to develop State-led childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme in Dublin Fingal West; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42047/25]
2372. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made by her Department to host state led after school care and support start up supports for groups involved in after-school activities in Dublin Fingal West; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42048/25]
2384. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made on the review of the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42162/25]
2385. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline of implementation of the centralised portal on pay transparency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42165/25]
2386. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department encourages the take-up of statutory leave for fathers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42166/25]
2387. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department are working on to tackle the falling birth rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42167/25]
2388. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress being made to ensure the Review of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare operating system in Ireland will be ready for publication in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42168/25]
2409. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address and mitigate against the impact of the motherhood penalty on women in the workplace, particularly in relation to: income inequality and pay progression, barriers to promotion and career development, access to affordable childcare and flexible working arrangements, and measures to support women returning…
2410. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline any cross-departmental efforts underway to tackle the structural contributors to the motherhood penalty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42542/25]
2412. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for the establishment of the National Agency for Early Learning and Childcare; the interim measures being taken to address the affordability crisis in childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42546/25]