The new CAMHS eating disorder team will transform the experiences of adolescents with eating disorders in the mid-west, giving them earlier and enhanced supports and reducing the need for hospital admissions. As I said, there are currently 20 dedicated eating disorder beds across the four CAMHS inpatient units. The Deputy is right to say there are only three adult beds in St. Vincent's hospital. We have done a full b…
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 congratulate Deputies Sheehan and Quaide on their recent election to the Dáil and I thank them for their interest in all health matters.
The Minister for Health has asked me to thank Deputy Sheehan for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on it. Primary care therapy services, such as speech and language therapy, play a central role in providing care and treatment to children and…
I thank the Deputy. We have had the change from the nine community healthcare organisations, CHOs, to six individual health regions. Each of the six health regions and each national service has been provided with a specified number of whole-time equivalent staff members that they can hire. They can replace, recruit and prioritise staff within the approved numbers they have. By the end of this year, there will be 133,…
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled ‘Rotas and arrangements for Leaders’ Questions, Questions nominated for priority and Private Members’ Time’ (without debate)
- Statements on Mental Health (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins)
Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Provision of Special Education, selected by Sinn Féin.
…
Further to the Order of the House of Thursday, 23 January 2025, I wish to announce for the information of the House that the following Members have been appointed to the Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny), established pursuant to Standing Order 140: Deputies Cathy Bennett, Malcolm Byrne, Seán Fleming, Erin McGreehan, Conor D. McGuinness, Aindrias Moynihan, Paul Murphy, Michael Murp…
I move:
That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and until further notice in the 34th Dáil, the rotas and arrangements recommended in the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform titled "Rotas and arrangements for Leaders' Questions, Questions nominated for priority and Private Members' Time", a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 17th February, 2025, be adopted -
(a) in relati…
I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to discuss the important topic of mental health today. It is fitting that mental health is one of the first themes for Dáil statements of this Government's term. It highlights the fact that this House recognises the importance of mental health and emphasises the well-known saying that there is no health without mental health. It was an absolute honour and privilege to be …
I thank the Deputy for his advocacy over the past five years.
We have.
It is normally only the opening speech that is made available but we can make it available.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in the House this evening. I am very familiar with the work of Save Our Sons And Daughters, or SOSAD, which makes a significant contribution to the provision of counselling services in north-east Leinster. It is important that this be acknowledged, as I have done previously.
SOSAD is not currently funded by HSE Louth Meath Mental Health Services. I am aware that, …
I thank the Deputy for her advocacy on behalf of the SOSAD suicide prevention group. I do not want to see this service close. I cannot be clearer than that. I understand how uncertainty around services can be very distressing for service users and their families. SOSAD is providing vital supports to many.
I reiterate the point that I do not negotiate with individual organisations myself. It is the HSE that is provid…
I thank the Deputy for his question. This is my first time speaking to him as a Deputy. Congratulations.
The Minister for Health has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising these matters and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on these important issues. The Government is clear that primary care centres are a very important part of the infrastructure needed for our health service. They provide a single point of a…
The need for a new primary care centre in Gorey was identified as part of the overall development programme and had progressed. The Deputy mentioned HSE incompetence, but the selected provider encountered difficulties regarding viability of the project. More than one project was involved; I know that for a fact. This is under an operational lease model. It is a new model the HSE is undertaking to deliver these primar…
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)
- Statements on Programme for Government (resumed) (to adjourn after 2 hours)
Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Government Response to Storm Éowyn, selected by Sinn Féin.
Wednesday's business shall be:
- Statements on Programme for Government (resumed) (not to exceed 1 hr 32 mi…
I thank the Deputy for his question. He is right that the importance of men's and women's sheds cannot be underestimated. Ireland has the highest percentage of men's sheds per capita in the world. They were founded originally in Australia but they have really taken off. We found it hard after Covid to get sheds back up and running but they are back up and running now and they are so important for emotional well-being…
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:
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence…
I move:
Wednesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (to be taken without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Restoration of Bills (to be taken without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Pre-legislative Scrutiny waiver for Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Office…
I move:
That—
(1) the rota in which Questions shall be addressed to members of the Government pursuant to Standing Order 48(2) shall be as follows:
1. Minister for Foreign Affairs
2. Minister for Finance
3. Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
4. Minister for Education
5. Minister for Defence
6. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications
7. Minister for…
I move:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 205, the Bills which lapsed on the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil, and are set out in the Schedule to this motion, shall be restored, at the stage specified in the Schedule below and notice of them shall be published pursuant to Standing Order 37.
SCHEDULE
I move:
That, in accordance with Standing Order 181(2), initiation of the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025 may proceed pursuant to Standing Order 180 notwithstanding that the draft heads or general scheme of the Bill have not been given to the Committee empowered under Standing Order 103 to consider Bills published by the Minister for Public E…