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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
Then listen to him.
I thank the Deputy for her question and for welcoming the extension of the Jigsaw services for young children and adolescents who suffer with mild to moderate mental health challenges.
I recently opened a service in Waterford, which was only the second in the past three years because Jigsaw changed its model of care for a while. However, I am delighted that, working with the Minister, I secured €3.6 million in the b…
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As he will be aware, we launched the new national suicide reduction and self-harm reduction strategy earlier in the year. Since 2000, we have seen a 33% reduction in suicides in Ireland. Every suicide is one too many. Currently, our number is 8.6 per 100,000 in the Republic of Ireland and we want to get to a complete reduction of that. The lowest number of suicides…
It is not opposed.
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment in Food and Beverage Services Sector) Regulations 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the
Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2026 (…
The signage is out of order.
The Ceann Comhairle should suspend. That is in breach of Standing Orders.
Deputies can absolutely hear from the Chief Whip if they allow me to speak and do not try to shout me down. What is shameful about having a debate? The Bill to reform the triple lock will get a full three hours and 34 minutes of debate here on Second Stage tomorrow. It was explained by the Clerk of the Dáil at the Business Committee yesterday that voting has to be completed by 9 o'clock because of the work to rule th…
Maybe I will hold up the sign. Will that do?
The Bill will then be referred to committee-----
-----where there will be opportunity for further debate. I reject the assertions the Government is in any way rushing this through.
The Order of Business stands.
I move:
That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Protection of Young Persons (Employment in Food and Beverage Services Sector) Regulations 2026,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 24th September, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, in accordance with Standing Order 103(5), which, not later than 11th …
I move:
That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2026,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on the 9th October, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food, in accordance with Standing Order 103(5), which, not later than 18th November, 2026, shall send a message to the Dáil in the man…
I move:
That Dáil Éireann adopts the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled "Oral Questions to the Taoiseach and Topical Issues", a copy of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 16th October, 2026.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann:
(1) notes the agreed Report of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach under Standing Order 142 on the following proposal: Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE amending Directives 2003/49/EC, 2009/133/EC, 2011/96/EU, (EU) 2016/1164, (EU) 2017/1852, (EU) 2025/50 as regards the simplification of the Union framework on direct ta…
Yesterday, people in Waterford came together to lay to rest Philip and Kim English and their young sons, Callum and Jayden. People watched online and turned out in person, standing quietly along the route, united in sorrow and wanting to show solidarity with the family. It is difficult to express what losing so many members of the English family has done. It has shaken not just Waterford but the country as a whole. T…
I move:
Tuesday's business shall be:
- Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)
- Employment Equality and Institutional Burials (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first half speaking round; not to exceed 1 hour and 52 minutes and any division claimed to be taken immediately)…
I thank the Ceann Comhairle for convening a meeting of the Business Committee on Saturday last at 2 p.m., at which a Dáil schedule was set out for Tuesday and Thursday of this week. When I attended that meeting, I got the impression that the majority of people were in agreement with the proposed schedule. Legislation was prioritised for today because it is time-sensitive. Both of the Opposition parties that will have…
€1.2 billion.
It has exceeded its budget, unfortunately.
I thank the Deputy for his question. The delivery of healthcare in west Waterford is something that is very close to my own heart, as he knows. We have an exceptionally large primary care centre in Dungarvan. It is not at full capacity. We would like to see more capacity going into certain areas of it, for example, the extension of Jigsaw services from Waterford city into the primary care centre. I have been working …
I will be sharing time with three colleagues.
I am glad of the opportunity to speak about mental health in advance of World Mental Health Day on 10 October. Mental health is something that touches every one of us, whether personally, through our families and loved ones or through the experiences of people in our communities across the country.
I would like to begin by drawing everyone's attention to this year's the…
Through Traveller projects.