I move amendment No. 180:
In page 79, lines 8 and 9, to delete “it is unsafe or it is not in the best interests of the child to do so” and substitute the following:
“there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare of the child by releasing the child into the care of that person or persons”.
This amendment was drafted following consultation with An Garda Síochána, as queries were raised as to how "u…
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 amendment No. 182:
In page 79, line 21, to delete “view” and substitute “opinion”.
I move amendment No. 184:
In page 79, line 26, to delete “view” and substitute “opinion”.
We are discussing that now.
Would Deputy Quaide like to speak to it and then I can come in?
Okay. I have heard Deputy Clarke and I have read what the other Deputies have sent in. I do not have a prepared speaking note because I want to work with both Deputies on getting this right for Report Stage. We know that in the past ten years there have been no cases where ECT has been used on 16- or 17-year-olds. We also know it is necessary to go to the High Court to get approval.
I have thought long and hard abou…
I move amendment No. 187:
In page 89, to delete lines 15 and 16 and substitute the following:
“(c) the interaction of the administration of electro-convulsive therapy and the guiding principles;”.
I am agreeable to deleting section 83 with the opportunity to reintroduce a section 83 along the lines of what we have discussed. There may be no need for it but I must keep the opportunity open in case wording is required. However, its purpose will be that we will not be legislating for 16- and 17-year-olds to have access to ECT.
I move amendment No. 189:
In page 89, lines 35 and 36, to delete all words from and including “(1) In” in line 35 down to
and including line 36.
I move amendment No. 190:
In page 90, lines 1 and 2, to delete “after such application, but no later than 24 hours after the application concerned” and substitute “, but no later than 24 hours after the initiation of the application”.
I move amendment No. 191:
In page 91, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following:
“(c) where it is the least restrictive practice possible in the circumstances,”.
I move amendment No. 192:
In page 91, line 20, to delete “view” and substitute “opinion”.
I move amendment No. 193:
In page 91, line 22, to delete “registered acute mental health centre” and substitute “registered proprietor”.
I move amendment No. 194:
In page 91, after line 37, to insert the following:
“(5) A registered proprietor of a registered acute mental health centre shall notify the Commission, in the form and manner specified by the Commission and within the period specified by the Commission, of each application of a restrictive practice in respect of a child in that registered acute mental health centre.”.
I move amendment No. 195:
In page 92, line 39, to delete “sections” and substitute “section”.
I move amendment No. 196:
In page 93, line 1, to delete “should” and substitute “shall”.
I move amendment No. 197:
In page 93, line 6, after “Where” to insert “, in the opinion of the responsible consultant psychiatrist,”.
I move amendment No. 198:
In page 93, line 19, to delete “view” and substitute “opinion”.
I move amendment No. 199:
In page 93, line 21, after “guardian” to insert “, the Child and Family Agency”.
I move amendment No. 200:
In page 93, lines 25 to 29, to delete all words from and including “(1) Subject to” in line 25 down to an including line 29 and substitute the following:
“(1) Subject to subsection (3), the responsible consultant psychiatrist or another member of the multidisciplinary team of a child admitted under section 61, 63 or 65, shall inform the parents, or either of them, or guardian of the child …
I move amendment No. 201:
In page 93, line 30, to delete “sections” and substitute “section”.
I move amendment No. 202:
In page 93, lines 34 and 35, to delete “consultant psychiatrist responsible for the care and treatment of the child,” and substitute “child’s responsible consultant psychiatrist”.
I move amendment 203:
In page 94, lines 2 and 3, to delete “consultant psychiatrist responsible for the care and treatment of the child,” and substitute “child’s responsible consultant psychiatrist”.
On patient advocacy services, when I took over as Minister of State with responsibility for older people in June 2020, I discovered very quickly that there were patient advocacy services only in public and community hospitals and public nursing homes. I moved very quickly to expand patient advocacy services across all public, private and voluntary nursing homes. I am currently expanding this provision to mental healt…
I move amendment No. 205:
In page 95, line 6, after “the” to insert “rights and”.
Amendment No. 205 is a technical amendment to include protection of a person’s rights, along with their interests, in the functions of the commission. I do not intend to support amendment No. 206 as this amendment duplicates what is already in the Bill elsewhere.
Section 177 of the Bill provides for the commission to make codes of pr…