I move amendment No. 230:
In page 121, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following:
“(f) the duration for which the registration of the centre has effect,”.
I spoke at some length on the previous grouping in relation to the chief inspector and set out some of the background to the existing regulatory regime under the Mental Health Act 2001, the development of the Bill, and the planned inspection of all communit…
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 do not disagree with the Deputy. We have 67 approved centres within the HSE. The Deputy is right. The private providers are already regulated by the Mental Health Commission. They would not get their registration otherwise. I do agree with the Deputy on safeguarding, that there has to be that particular crossover. For example, Waterford Residential Care Centre in the city is a fantastic building with 100 rooms en s…
I move amendment No. 231:
In page 121, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:
“(f) the duration for which the registration of the centre has effect,”.
I move amendment No. 232:
In page 122, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following:
“(e) the duration for which the registration of the service has effect,”.
I move amendment No. 233:
In page 122, line 16, to delete “community” and substitute “acute”.
I move amendment No. 234:
In page 123, between lines 11 and 12 to insert the following:
“145. (1) A person who proposes to operate more than one registered acute mental health centre or registered community mental health centre shall make a separate application to be registered for each of those centres.
(2) A person who proposes to operate more than one registered community mental health service shall make a sepa…
I move amendment No. 235:
In page 123, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:
“(2) The Commission shall visit a mental health service in respect of which a person has applied for registration as a registered acute mental health centre within a prescribed period and take any findings into consideration when assessing the application for registration.”.
I move amendment No. 236:
In page 124, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:
“(2) The Commission shall visit a mental health service in respect of which a person has applied for registration as a registered community mental health centre within a prescribed period and take any findings into consideration when assessing the application for registration.”
I move amendment No. 237:
In page 125, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:
“(2) The Commission may visit a mental health service in respect of which a person has applied for registration as a registered community mental health service within a prescribed period and take any findings into consideration when assessing the application for registration.”.
I move amendment No. 238:
In page 126, to delete lines 29 to 32 and substitute the following:
“(5) The Commission may visit a registered mental health service in respect of which a person has applied to renew its registration under this section and take any findings into consideration when assessing the application for renewal.”.
I move amendment No. 239:
In page 128, line 21, to delete “period of 3” and substitute “period of no more than 3”.
I move amendment No. 240:
In page 128, lines 23 and 24, to delete “period of 5” and substitute “period of no more than 5”.
I move amendment No. 241:
In page 128, lines 25 and 26, to delete “period of 5” and substitute “period of no more than 5”.
I move amendment No. 242:
In page 133, line 31, to delete “sections” and substitute “section”.
I move amendment No. 243:
In page 134, line 17, to delete “sections” and substitute “section”.
I move amendment No. 244:
In page 134, line 37, to delete “and to the Commission”.
These amendments remove the reference to the Mental Health Commission from the notification of day-to-day operations of the registered mental health service in section 164(3)(b). Compliance with the Act in this section has been moved to section 164(3)(d). It is not appropriate for the Mental Health Commission to be notified of the da…
I move amendment No. 245:
In page 134, line 39, to delete “, including in relation to any compliance with this Act”.
I move amendment No. 246:
In page 135, to delete lines 4 and 5 and substitute the following:
“(d) liaising with the Commission from time to time, including in relation to compliance with this Act and when requested to do so by the Commission.”.
Unfortunately, I am not in a position to support this amendment. The expert review of the Mental Health Act did not recommend that a profession other than a consultant psychiatrist could become a clinical director of a service. Uniquely among health professionals, doctors have full clinical responsibility for people under their care and are similarly liable for a person's care. It may be that a future review of this …
I move amendment No. 249:
In page 136, line 5, after “may” to insert “, with the approval of the Commission,”.
These amendments provide for the approval of the Mental Health Commission to be given to inspectors in sections 166(1) and 166(3) in relation to compliance notices.
I move amendment No. 250:
In page 136, line 17, after “may” to insert “, with the approval of the Commission”.
I am not going to support this amendment because I believe it is unnecessary. We are currently in the second year of a three-year implementation plan for Sharing the Vision. This is the second of three such implementation plans over the lifespan of this policy. Furthermore, it would be inappropriate for the Minister to be answerable to the Mental Health Commission because it is the regulator. Instead, an independent …
I move amendment No. 253:
In page 145, lines 14 and 15, to delete “may, and, at the request of the Minister, shall” and substitute “may, and at the request of the Minister shall,”.
These amendments concern typographical errors that need correcting. Amendment No. 255 removes the reference to section 76 in relation to absence with leave of a child. It is now included along with the reference to absence with leave of …
I move amendment No. 254:
In page 145, line 18, to delete “16 years and over” and substitute “16 years or older”.
I move amendment No. 255:
In page 145, line 25, after “section 38” to insert “or 76”.