Mary Butler

I move: That Dáil Éireann, in accordance with Article 15.1.3° of the Constitution, hereby determines that the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy may meet in Wexford Town, County Wexford, on a date in 2026 to be decided by the Committee, in order to hear from community groups, locals and stakeholders on the progress made at Lady's Island Lake; provided that, pursuant to Standing Or…

I move: That, notwithstanding the Orders of the Dáil of 3rd day of March, 2026, and 25th day of March, 2026, and pursuant to Standing Order 223(1), the following Committee may complete its consideration of the Estimates for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2026, standing referred to them pursuant to Standing Order 222(2), later than the eightieth day and not later than the one h…

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. As she knows, most children and young people receive the care they need from CAMHS and are discharged. However, some young people may need to transition to adult services. I accept and acknowledge that transitions between services can be difficult, and that is why I established a specialist group in the Department of Health policy oversig…

I thank Deputies for attending this evening and for their continued support of the Bill. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, brought forward a small number of amendments on Committee Stage in the Seanad to strengthen a number of important provisions, the details of which I can set out briefly. Seanad amendments Nos. 1 and 2 relate to the power of the HSE under the Bill to request health informa…

Our health system needs a robust and proven identifier in order that health information can, effectively and reliably, be associated with the right individual. This is essential for care and treatment as well as patient safety. As part of this, the Bill aims to enhance patient safety through stronger identification processes, including best-practice use of the personal public service number and ei…

Seanad amendment No. 4 relates to the power of the HSE to use the electronic health record for specified public interest purposes. As the Minister outlined on Second Stage in the Seanad, there are a number of critical building blocks on the path to the full digitalisation of health records. One is the patient app, which now has over 157,000 users.

This Bill, which will establish a legal duty to share information, represents a significant opportunity to move towards a more connected health service that fully embraces the potential of quality electronic health data collected in the health system every day. In so doing, it will lay the foundations for a much more innovative and efficient health service which, above all, centres on the patient.…

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: Motion re Eleventh Report of the Standing Committee of Selection (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) Motion re Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 (without debate) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Special Education, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business sha…

Just so that all Deputies are aware, I will clarify that they do not need to be a member of a committee to attend meetings. I note the comments made and the requests for statements. These will be considered at the meeting of the Business Committee on Thursday, as normal. The Order of Business stands.

It is not being opposed.

I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 21st April, 2026, approves the Eleventh Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 17th April, 2026.

I heard that, too.

I thank the Deputy. The frustration that many people feel I have felt as well for quite a while. When it was announced initially in 2020 or 2021, we were in the middle of Covid. It was then held up for three years by the clinicians. At the time, I was very frustrated with them but I agree with them now. They did not want the new approved centre, the new department of psychiatry in UHW, to be, as w…

The question the Deputy asked was about the HSE capital plan for Waterford and the south east in relation to mental health and mental health beds. I can speak to that. In relation to the other issues the Deputy mentioned, I do not have the relevant information but I discussed it when I had the meeting with HSE estates. On the two-storey vertical extension, the vertical overhang as it is called, my…

It is important acknowledge the surgical hub. Earlier, the Deputy said he is a fan of surgical hubs. Some €90 million in capital investment is being spent on the surgical hub. I was delighted to be there last year, along with the Minister, to turn the sod on it, even though it was well under way at the time and will be open before Christmas, which is really important. Another piece of good news is…

I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. She sends her apologies. I thank Deputies Ardagh and Daly for their interest in the prevention of drug use among young people in Ireland and for the opportunity to provide an update to the House on this very important work. As Deputy Daly will be aware, the Minister of State published the draft national drugs strategy i…

Planet Youth Ireland is an initiative to promote, as Deputy Daly said, well-being among our children and adolescents. It takes a ground-up approach whereby local regions enter into a process that researches local government agencies, the education sector and young people themselves. Planet Youth is not an intervention, though, rather a data collection exercise that provides evidence to inform inte…

Planet Youth Ireland communicated that it intends to discontinue its links with Planet Youth as it was felt the work done by Planet Youth could be done in Ireland at a lower cost. Planet Youth Ireland is separating from Planet Youth while continuing to do the work. For example, a number of regular surveys capturing information on youth drug and alcohol use patterns, risks and protective factors ha…

I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 16th April, 2026, approves the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 27th March, 2026.

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Confidence in the Government (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes; any division claimed to be taken by roll-call) - Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance [2026] (Financial Resolution Nos. 1, 2 and 3) (three separate motions to be debated together and brought to a conclusion within 60 mins, with separate questions put on each motion and a…

When the Dáil schedule was circulated last September nobody in the House objected to it. This is the first point.

It is normal practice for the Government to put forward a motion of confidence when a motion of no confidence is tabled by the Opposition. It is important that this happens at the earliest opportunity. It supersedes all other business so that the Dáil has the opportunity to express its confidence in the Government and get on with the important business.

This will then be followed by the financial resolutions to underpin the significant package of supports announced by the Government on Sunday so these important reliefs are implemented immediately. The Order of Business stands.

That is scandalous.

We have heard a lot from Sinn Féin and Independent Ireland about ordinary hard-working people. They say this Government will not listen to hard-working people. They say this Government has lost touch with hard-working people. They seem to think they have a monopoly on hard-working people. Well, I am a hardworking person. I worked a counter and managed a family retail business for 17 years, through…