Four hours is enough. We will be back next week. I thank all the Members for the positive engagement so far. We have covered a huge amount of ground. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for being here for most of the debate.
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:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Referral of Government Bills to Select Committees (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Statements on Housing (not to exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes)
Tuesday's private members' business shall be Motion re Urgent action on Vacant Council Housing, selected by Sinn Féin.
Wednesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Proposed approval by Dái…
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Many statements referred to "RTÉ Investigates" last week. I think everybody was horrified and scandalised at what we saw. I am in talks with the Minister to secure time to have this debated. I will revert back to the various whips.
We discussed the Citywest hotel at the Business Committee the week before last. Time will be found for that as well.
In relation to Aontú's propo…
I thank the Deputy for her question and for raising the issue of mental health supports for the Travelling community. It is great to hear it being raised on the floor of the Dáil. I have worked very closely with the Travelling community, including visiting Pavee Point on many occasions. We also fund Exchange House in Dublin, specifically in relation to suicide prevention. I am pleased to say that we have seen the sui…
No.
I move:
That, where appropriate, the Order that each Bill listed in column 1 of the Schedule hereto be considered in Committee of the whole Dáil is hereby discharged, and that each Bill listed in column 1 is respectively referred to the Committee listed in column 3, established to consider such matters pursuant to Standing Order 103(2)(b) and 188(1).
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in the House. I commend the Loreto Centre Crumlin on the good work it does, which last year saw the centre providing counselling services to 230 clients in the community, with almost 3,000 counselling sessions recorded in 2024.
I understand that, in recent years, the centre has received funding from a number of public bodies, including Tusla, the Department of Soc…
I assure the Deputy that any applications that come for funding are not treated as box-ticking exercises. Ensuring the correct corporate and clinical governance is in place is particularly important for any organisation that will potentially be providing talk therapies on behalf of the HSE.
The most appropriate avenue for the application for funding is through the section 39 process administered by regional HSE ment…
I move:
That Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Second Report of the Standing Committee of Selection (without debate)
- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)
- Motion re Restoration of Private Members’ Bills (without debate)
- Apology to Shane O'Farrell and his family: Statements (not to exceed 2 hrs and 20 mins)
- Statements on the Independent External Medical Audit for …
I acknowledge the five Whips and the issues they have raised. The Minister for Health will use all of the time available to her this evening to answer questions in her wrap-up. I also take on board the issue regarding the defective concrete blocks scheme that has been raised over the past couple of weeks. I also take note of the request relating to the fishing industry and we can address them on Thursday morning.
No.
May I have a quick word?
As is normally the case with Private Members' Business, the Bill will not be opposed on First Stage. That is the process. If and when the Bill is listed for Second Stage, like all other Private Members' business the Government will then consider the matter at that point.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 28th May, 2025, approves the Second Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 23rd May, 2025, and discharges a member from a Committee and appoints a member to a Committee accordingly.
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 next set down to the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence:
Minister for Environment, Climate…
This is my tenth year speaking in the Dáil and representing my constituents. There have been tough days where I had to stand up and one of them related to the Maskey report on mental health. Today is another one of those days when we discuss unnecessary hip surgeries in Children's Health Ireland, CHI.
The patients and families affected by the publication of the audit report are at the forefront of my mind, as they a…
Hear, hear.
I thank both Deputies for raising this really important issue today. I recently met Comhairle na nÓg to update the group on my efforts to establish a new youth mental health service for Waterford and the south east. I will give a big shout-out to Theo Hannigan, Mollie Mernagh and Eve Meleady, the three amazing young people who presented me with a petition with a lot of signatures. They are great young people and grea…
I certainly will drive it on, and it is an area that has been identified as needing youth mental health supports. However, all areas of the county need youth mental health supports. Some 2% of young people will need the support of CAMHS but 98% of young people - about a third of them - will need counselling and low-level supports so they can deal with anxiety, depression and the challenges they have with body image a…
It is not.
No.
No.
I move:
That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders and until further notice in the 34th Dáil, parties, groups and non-party/group members may appoint members to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight in accordance with paragraph (4) of Standing Order 129, and the Ceann Comhairle shall announce the names of the members so appointed for the information of the Dáil on the first sitting day of th…
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of a Carbon Budget Programme (to be taken without debate)
- Motion re Presentation and Circulation of Revised and Further Revised Estimates 2025 (any division demanded shall be taken immediately)
- Statements on Assessment of Need (not to exceed 3 hrs and 32 mins)
Tuesday's private members' business …
On the questions that dealt specifically with the Order of Business for this week, I inform Deputy Collins that I have been in talks regarding statements on flood relief.