It is not opposed.
TDs / Mary Butler
Mary Butler
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip; and the Department of Health with responsibility for Mental Health
Portrait: Mary Butler (CC BY 4.0) · source file
1
question asked
Oral and written, to government departments
216,769
words spoken in the chamber
214,650 as a minister, 2,119 as a TD
433
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
1
topic asked about
Across 1 department
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 1 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 946 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 0 | 37 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 24 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 33 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 46 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 304 |
| July 2025 | 0 | 55 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 15 |
| October 2025 | 1 | 29 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 60 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 38 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 31 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 30 |
| April 2026 | 0 | 75 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 25 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 29 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 30 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 31 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 386 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Waterford 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip; and the Department of Health with responsibility for Mental Health 23 January 2025 to now
I move:
That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those set down to the Minister for Defence, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence:
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
…
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Eighth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Commission on the Future of the Family Farm Bill 2024 (without debate)
- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the exercise by the State of Article 20 of the Treaty on European Union authorising enhanced cooperation on the esta…
I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I will not be accepting that amendment. In relation to all the issues that were raised by the various spokespersons, we can consider all of them on Thursday. We have a really busy schedule in the next few days. We have the Child Care (Amendment) Bill this afternoon, there are two items of Private Members' business from the Opposition with one on mental health and the other on disability, …
No.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 28th January, 2026, approves the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 23rd January, 2026.
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an rún tábhachtach seo a thabhairt chun cinn anocht, rud nach gcuirfidh an Rialtas ina choinne. Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis chun díospóireacht a dhéanamh ar thacaíochtaí éigeandála sláinte meabhrach; réimse ar thug mé aird mhór air i mo thréimhse mar Aire Sláinte Meabhrach.
I thank Deputy Clarke for bringing forward this important motion. I welcome any opportunity to discuss ment…
Next year.
I thank the Deputy for asking this really important question. As Ireland’s population ages mental health services for older people need to continue evolving to meet the growing demand. Improving and expanding access to specialist mental health services for older people is something I am deeply committed to as Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, and as a former Minister of State with responsibilit…
I want to touch on the trial that has been running over the past three years. We all know ICPOPs are a one-stop shop for elderly people where everything is looked at in relation to their physical health. I am of the opinion that mental health should also be included here. We have trialled in five different areas where the psychiatrist of older age is also involved. I also want to give a shout-out to the psychiatry of…
I also look forward to getting that information because I am also a person who is data-driven. I want to talk briefly about the work that I have been doing along with the Minister who recently met psychologists in relation to CORU. I will also have a meeting this week about assistant psychology and CORU, which is really important. The Minister is very keen that not only those with a PhD, but also those with a master'…
I thank the Deputy for this important question. I welcome the opportunity to highlight this important initiative, which is being led by our colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, her Department, and HSE disability services. The single point of access will create an integrated approach across disability services, primary care and mental health to strengthen collaboration and to deliver more consistent and e…
To expand on the point I was making, I have adopted a youth mental health strategy which started two years ago. It is called the "no wrong door" approach. It connects young people who have a mental health difficulty with the most appropriate level of care to match that young person's needs. Referrals to CAMHS are up 48% in the past five years. We know that many young people could be treated earlier and more effective…
If the Deputy wants to send on that case, I will have it looked at again. There are situations where there are challenges with CAMHS and children with another diagnosis. In order to be accepted into CAMHS, there has to be a primary diagnosis of a mental health challenge. We have to get better at doing shared care and that is the whole purpose of having this new single point of access. Bernard Gloster of the HSE has b…
I thank the Deputy for his question. I am really ambitious for transforming the mental health capital estate over the next three, five and ten years. I currently finalising a ten-year capital plan for mental health, which will guide our investment programme in mental health infrastructure. This plan is backed up by national development plan funding of up to €500 million for the next five years to the end of 2030. I a…
As I said, the national capital plan for mental health is being finalised. The Deputy could ask me the exact same question about Waterford, where I am from, because we are in the exact same predicament as Cavan. He could ask me about the Jonathan Swift Clinic, the Lakeview unit in Kildare, Roscommon, the Mater Hospital or the St. Michael's unit in Cork. There is a myriad of various capital plans that are under consid…
The Deputy is quoting from the capital plan from 2025. I am currently finalising the capital plan for mental health for 2026. It will be published very soon, and the Deputy will see the details. Once a proposal is on the capital plan, it is not going to be removed from the capital plan. I am not in a position-----
It is not a question-and-answer session. I am not in a position to give the Deputy that information at the moment.
On 1 September last year - I say this every opportunity I get - I launched free counselling supports for men across the country. Four out of every five suicides in Ireland are men, notwithstanding that we have seen a reduction in the numbers, thankfully. Every single suicide has a profound impact on people. That particular mother lost her son. I speak every chance I get about yourmentalhealth.ie/men and free counsell…
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue in regard to arrangements by section 39 organisations for healthcare assistants. First, I acknowledge the important role section 39 grant-funded organisations and staff play in our health sector, particularly the healthcare assistants working within those organisations. They have a key role in providing services to people with disabilities and older people in…
I certainly will raise this issue with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, this morning. I am not sure whether he is in the building right now. I understand he is not, which is why I am here taking this Topical Issue. I appreciate that some groups, and these workers are not the only such group, are not covered by the WRC agreement and may be disappointed. However, the agreement reached covers only grant-funded o…
The Minister for Health has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on this important issue. She is acutely aware of the role that primary care services, such as speech and language therapy, have in offering the opportunity for early and cost-effective interventions for children and young people. Nobody will disagree with the Deputy’s point that early interventi…
I acknowledge the Deputy’s continued advocacy on the provision of the myriad therapies that children, young people and adults need. It is important to recognise that overall activity within the eight core primary care therapies was significant in 2025, with approximately 1.24 million appointments provided across occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology, speech and language therapy, audiology, ophtha…
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue in relation to suicides in our country. I welcome the opportunity to respond to him because we do not spend enough time speaking about suicide. It goes without saying that even one death by suicide is one too many. I offer my condolences to the family of Stephen McCarthy and the 14-year-old child the Deputy said will be buried this week. It is a really diffic…
On the report, I do not have it yet but as soon as I get it, I will publish it.