This grouping relates generally to children aged 16 or 17 who have been assessed as lacking capacity under the Bill. This is not a new policy but instead places the provision in a more appropriate section. It provides that where a capacity assessment is being carried out on a child, it is done as soon as practicable, regularly to meet the individual child’s needs, but not less than once every 14 days. This an importa…
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
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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
The two amendments in this grouping do not represent a significant change in policy from the Bill, as passed by the Dáil, but have been included to clarify what should happen for voluntarily admitted children who are in the care of Tusla.
Amendment No. 203 provides for children who are in the care system to be admitted for inpatient mental health treatment on a voluntary basis, with the consent of Tusla, where it is…
These amendments both relate to legal representatives assigned for the provision of legal aid. Amendment No. 438 removes subsection 196 (7) which is not required now as the definition in section 2 requires the legal representative to be a practising barrister or solicitor. Amendment No. 439 sets out that the legal representative assigned must provide information to the commission, where requested, to ensure that the …
These amendments all relate to the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 and were introduced following extensive consultation between my Department and the Department of justice as well as consultation between both Departments and the Attorney General’s Office. The Department of justice is the Department with policy responsibility for this Act, so it was important that it supported all amendments. That Department carried …
I would be confident that nobody will lose a pathway. All of the patients at the time will be patients of an approved centre. The Mental Health Commission will play a role here and the HSE will play a significant role here. Their role will be to ensure that every single person under the new Act has his or her rights vindicated. We will keep a close eye on it.
I thank Deputies for the debate today on this landmark legislation to update and modernise our mental health laws. The enactment of this Bill has been a long-standing priority for me and for the Government, and I am very proud to see it being passed here today. The Bill will now go to Uachtarán na hÉireann for her consideration. This is once-in-a-generation legislation. The previous Mental Health Act was enacted in 2…
We all share the same goal, namely to ensure this legislation will facilitate the putting in place of a more robust framework in which our mental health services will be delivered and regulated into the future.
I thank my colleagues in government for their continued support. I particularly thank the Taoiseach for reappointing me to this role in order that I could complete the work on the Bill right to the end. I tha…
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle very much.
Hear, hear.
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of meeting of the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy in Wexford (without debate)
- Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees (without debate)
- Statements on the Consultation process o…
As the Ceann Comhairle knows, during the Business Committee meeting last Thursday, there were very few issues with the Order of Business. There was a request for additional time. It was facilitated. All issues raised here today can be discussed. I think only Deputy Collins raised the issue of short-term lets last Thursday. In relation to mental health, I will be in the Dáil tomorrow for another four hours. That will …
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 Order 115(4), Members …
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 hundred and sixty-fif…
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 oversight structures to exa…
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 information for important p…
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 eircode to uniquely id…
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 thank all Deputi…
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 shall be:
Statements a…
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 was proposed, on the …
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 understanding is th…