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 that a site has bee…
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
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 in early February. Th…
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 interventions.
The Icel…
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 have been implemented …
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 any divisions claimed…
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 good times and bad.…
-----cornerstone of our democracy and always will be. It is one of the many rights we enjoy in a free society. Sinn Féin and other agitators on the Opposition benches try to frame the illegal blockades of critical public infrastructure as a legitimate form of protest.
Members of Independent Ireland used wardens to determine who got healthcare in Limerick hospital.
Sandra Broderick, the regional executive officer of HSE Mid West, had to issue correspondence to politicians to allow people who did not have their appointment letter in the car to access the hospital.
Last week, Sinn Féin publicly endorsed illegal blockades which infringed upon the fundamental rights of ordinary hard-working people in this country. Sinn Féin supported hard borders on this island of Ireland - the ul…
Elderly people in west Clare were denied home care.
I sat with a family whose 12 hours of support at the weekend for a child who is autistic were reduced because the people did not have petrol in their car to visit. That is the reality of Independent Ireland and Sinn Féin.
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. I compliment him on his advocacy for the families and the children over many years. As he knows, a report relating to another group of children who unfortunately were harmed by the mental health services in Kerry was published recently. I visited and met with some of the families. At that time, I said that I would be coming forward very soon with a new compe…
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. Primary care psychology and the CAMHS teams are two separate services, as the Deputy knows and understands. The majority of the children on the waiting list are for the primary care psychology team. They are not for the CAMHS team. We are trying to reduce the number of children waiting for CAMHS. I visited over 21 teams in the past six months to see what we …
Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Hearne as a chéad Bhille. The Bill is not opposed.
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)
- Motion re Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of the Data Protection Act 2018 under (Section 60(6)) and (Section 51)(3)) Regulations 2026 (without debate)
- Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform (without debate)
- International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 202…
I will offer some clarity about what will transpire later today. There will a motion regarding Financial Resolution No. 1 this afternoon from the Department of Finance. Sixty minutes have been allowed and we are votable immediately afterwards so I expect there will be several votes at that time. I want to be clear on that.
There has been a change to tomorrow's Order of Business. The National Oil Reserve Agency (Amen…
The Order of Business stands.
It is not opposed.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann approve the following Regulations in draft:
Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) (Scoping Exercise in Response to Requests from Dignity4Patients) Regulations 2026,
Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 51(3)) (Scoping Exercise in Response to Requests from Dignity4Patients) Regulations 2026,
Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) (Children's Health Ireland Inquiry into Spina Bifida and …
I move:
That Dáil Éireann adopts the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled "Oral Questions to the Taoiseach, and Divisions and Weekly Division Time", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 23rd March, 2026.