On 1 March 2022, the Government formally decided to conduct a census of population in 2027 to be carried out by the Central Statistics Office, CSO. The exact census date has not yet been decided. It is expected, however, that census data collection will run in April and May of 2027. Census 2027 will be a major undertaking for the CSO as for the first time in Irish history, the public will have the option of completin…
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
The question asked the date for the next planned census. All three Deputies have raised issues relating to health and I am not in a position to answer them. What I will take on board is the importance of the CSO and the data it provides. It is very useful to plan for services.
Deputy Tóibín said we do not have enough nursing home beds. I am very proud to stand here, as the former Minister of State with responsibilit…
I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this serious with dermatology and other services in Sligo University Hospital. I will speak with the Minister for Health later this afternoon and get a written response to him. I am not over the detail of that. We will get him a response later today or early tomorrow morning.
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue of cancer care. While still too high, cancer mortality rates in Ireland are falling faster than the EU average, having fallen by 17% between 2011 and 2021 compared with the EU average of 12%. Five-year survival rates for patients have greatly improved since the first national cancer strategy. They are 65% for patients who received a cancer diagnosis in the pe…
Section 201 of the Bill, as initiated, provides for an amendment to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. This is now covered in section 212.
I move amendment No. 278:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“PART 8
AMENDMENT OF ACT OF 2015
Amendment of section 2 of Act of 2015
203. Section 2 of the Act of 2015 is amended, in subsection (1)—
(a) by the deletion of the definition of “Act of 2001”, and
(b) by the insertion of the following definition:
“ ‘Act of 2025’ means the Mental Health Act 2025;”.”.
These amendments are placed in n…
I move amendment No. 279:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of section 85 of Act of 2015
204. Section 85 of the Act of 2015 is amended by the substitution of the following subsection
for subsection (7):
“(7) (a) Subject to subsections (1) to (5) and paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subsection, an advance healthcare directive shall, insofar as it is provided for by this Part, be compli…
I move amendment No. 280:
“Amendment of section 98 of Act of 2015
205. Section 98 of the Act of 2015 is amended, in subsection (1), by the substitution of “Part 5 of the Act of 2025” for “Part 3 of the Act of 2001”.”.
I move amendment No. 281:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of section 104 of Act of 2015
206. Section 104 of the Act of 2015 is amended—
(a) by the deletion of the definition of “approved centre”,
(b) in the definition of “clinical director”, by the substitution of “Act of 2025” for “Act of 2001”,
(c) in the definition of “consultant psychiatrist”, by the substitution of “Act of 2…
I move amendment No. 282:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of section 106 of Act of 2015
207. Section 106 of the Act of 2015 is amended by the substitution of “a person who lacks capacity has a mental disorder that fulfils the criteria for involuntary admission, the procedures provided for under the Act of 2025 shall be followed as respects any recommendation for involuntary admissio…
I move amendment No. 282a:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of section 136 of Act of 2015
208.The Act of 2015 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 136:
“Involuntarily admitted persons whose treatment is regulated by Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Act of 2025
136. (1) Nothing in this Act authorises a person—
(a) to give an involuntarily admitted person treatm…
I move amendment No. 283:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“PART 9
CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO OTHER ACTS
Amendment of Defence Act 1954
208. The Defence Act 1954 is amended—
(a) in section 202—
(i) in subsection (1)(b), by the substitution of “such person has a mental disorder (within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 2025) that fulfils the criteria for involuntary admission (within the …
I move amendment No. 284:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Coroners Act 1962
209. (1) The Coroners Act 1962 is amended—
(a) in section 2, in the definition of “State custody or detention”—
(i) by the deletion of paragraph (d), and
(ii) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (d):
“(da) involuntarily admitted under Part 3 or 4 of the Mental Health Act 2025 t…
I move amendment No. 285:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Act of 1991
210. The Act of 1991 is amended—
(a) in section 23F(2)(b)(ii), by the substitution of “Mental Health Act 2025” for “Mental Health Act 2001”,
(b) in section 23H(1)(c)(ii), by the substitution of “Mental Health Act 2025” for “Mental Health Act 2001”,
(c) in section 23J(1)(d)(ii), by the substitution of “Mental…
I move amendment No. 286:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Bail Act 1997
211.Section 9A of the Bail Act 1997 is amended, in subsection (7), by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “mental disorder”:
“ ‘mental disorder’ means a mental disorder (within the meaning of section 2 of the Mental Health Act 2025) that—
(a) in relation to an adult, fulfils t…
I move amendment No. 287:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997
212. Section 23 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997 is amended—
(a) in subsection (1), by the substitution of “surgical, medical, dental or mental health treatment” for “surgical, medical or dental treatment”, and
(b) in subsection (2), by the substitution …
I move amendment No. 288:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
213. The Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is amended—
(a) in section 268—
(i) in subsection (1C)—
(I) by the substitution of “a registered acute mental health centre (within the meaning of section 2 of the Mental Health Act 2025)” for “a centre (within the meaning of section 62 of the Mental Hea…
I move amendment No. 289:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Education Act 1998
214. The Education Act 1998 is amended, in section 60, by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “school”:
“ ‘school’ means a recognised school other than a recognised school that is situated in a hospital or registered acute mental health centre (within the meaning of sectio…
I move amendment No. 290:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002
215.Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 is amended—
(a) in subsection (7), by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (j):
“(j) a registered acute mental health centre (within the meaning of section 2 of the Mental Health Act 2025), or”,
and
(b) in subse…
I move amendment No. 291:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Health Act 2004
216.The Health Act 2004 is amended—
(a) in section 2(1), in the definition of “specialist community-based disability services”, by the substitution of “Mental Health Act 2025” for “Mental Health Acts 1945 to 2001”,
(b) in section 55A, by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “…
I move amendment No. 292:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
217.The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 is amended—
(a) in section 86—
(i) in subsection (1), by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (b):
“(ba) the Mental Health Act 2025, or”,
and
(ii) in subsection (2), by the insertion of “or the Mental Health Act 202…
I move amendment No. 293:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Health Act 2007
218.The Health Act 2007 is amended—
(a) in section 2(1), by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “Mental Health Commission”:
“ ‘Mental Health Commission’ means the Mental Health Commission established by the Mental Health Act 2001 and continued in being under section 92 of th…
I move amendment No. 294:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
219. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is amended—
(a) in section 29(4)(a), by the substitution of “Mental Health Act 2025” for “Mental Health Act 2001”, and
(b) in section 107(c)(iv), by the substi…
I move amendment No. 295:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012
220. The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 is amended, in Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 1, by the substitution of the following subparagraph for subparagraph (d):
“(d) a registered acute mental health centre within the mean…
I move amendment No. 296:
In page 160, after line 13, to insert the following:
“Amendment of Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013
221.The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 is amended, in section 61(1)(e), by the substitution of “Mental Health Act 2025” for “Mental Health Act 2001”.”.