Like everybody else in this House, I would have had loved to have plenty of time to speak to my amendment, which is No. 20. Out of respect to Deputy Gannon, who I presume is going to want to speak on this, I am going to be quite brief and to try to contain myself to two minutes. Amendment No. 20 very much reflects Deputy Kelly's amendment, which was also reflective of my thoughts on counselling notes right from the v…
TDs / Paula Butterly
Paula Butterly
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
387
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
30,519
words spoken in the chamber
Across 113 contributions. Plus 54 contributions from the chair, not counted
389
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
176
topics asked about
Across 18 departments
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 387 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 113 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 13 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 11 | 2 |
| March 2025 | 15 | 6 |
| April 2025 | 12 | 3 |
| May 2025 | 11 | 5 |
| June 2025 | 9 | 4 |
| July 2025 | 16 | 3 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 11 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 9 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 33 | 10 |
| December 2025 | 23 | 8 |
| January 2026 | 13 | 10 |
| February 2026 | 18 | 11 |
| March 2026 | 40 | 6 |
| April 2026 | 29 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 47 | 14 |
| June 2026 | 26 | 2 |
| July 2026 | 19 | 6 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 23 | 11 |
| October 2026 | 9 | 3 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 82 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Louth 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
First, I thank the Minister for the work he has done on this Bill. I acknowledge the relentless work and advocacy of David French and his family in regard to the work behind the Bill. When we talk about laws like Valerie's Law, we are ultimately asking a difficult but essential question. What does justice mean for a child whose parent has committed the most serious harm imaginable, killing the other parent? There is …
10. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the proposed changes to the legal aid scheme; how these proposals are consistent with the programme for Government commitment to restore legal fees; to clarify the extent to which relevant stakeholders were consulted prior to the publication of these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35591/26]
I welcome the Minister’s comments. I want to frame this as an opportunity to get reform right, to strengthen our justice system and to ensure, as the Minister said, that it works fairly for everybody. Nobody disagrees that change is needed and we all recognise that there are inefficiencies in the current system. Reform, though, must be done carefully and in a way that protects the core principles of justice. I know t…
I repeat that all of us recognise the inefficiencies that do exist and that there is scope there for reform. However, let me guide the Minister toward a practical example. In County Louth, my constituency, we have the drug treatment court, which has proved to be a very effective and successful operation for those people appearing before the judges. It involves statutory and non-statutory stakeholders, and the model o…
Will the Minister have further engagement with the key stakeholders and take on board their concerns before he brings forward these proposals?
7. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of funding allocated for essential repair and flood remediation works at Drogheda Courthouse following the recent flooding that resulted in the transfer of District Court sittings to Dundalk Courthouse in January 2025; the timeframe for completion of those works; the total amount of capital funding allocated for cou…
I apologise for the confusion I caused earlier. Will the Minister outline the current status of funding allocated for essential repairs and remedial works at Drogheda Courthouse following the flooding that resulted in the transfer of District Court sittings to Dundalk Courthouse in January 2025? Will he also indicate the timeframe for the completion of those works, as well as the total amount of capital funding alloc…
I thank the Minister for that update. I was aware that courtroom 1 had opened. As the Minister noted, Drogheda Courthouse is a modern building that opened in 2017 as part of a €9 million investment designed to serve the growing and busy county of Louth. Yet, in the space of 12 months, we have seen repeated problems, most recently with courtroom 1 as a result of burst pipes in the roof. However, that is not the only i…
In County Louth, we have the good fortune of also having Dundalk Courthouse, which is an amazing facility that is potentially underused at times. Many of my former colleagues tell me the courthouses at a regional level across the country are in dire need of repair. Will the Minister outline the programme of repair and maintenance at a national level and how quickly those works can be facilitated?
Will the Minister underline the actions being taken to prevent wildfires and encourage preventative measures by landowners as we enter the summer months?
We are always asking responsible landowners to act as custodians of the land and to act responsibly by following the regulations as set out by the Minister in regard to burning and taking those preventative steps. However, at the same time they are also exposed to the risks created by the actions of others with limited protection or recourse. In places like the Cooley Mountains we can see how quickly fires can take h…
I thank the Minister. The irony is not lost on me that the rain is bucketing down outside yet we are talking about fire notices but it is an important conversation to have. We have to be summer ready, as he rightly said. This is about protecting our farmers, our communities and our landscape. It is about ensuring those who act responsibly are not left to carry the consequences of those who do not. In Louth, even a sm…
I raise this matter on behalf of retained firefighters of County Louth and all the regions of Ireland, particularly those who are approaching mandatory retirement at the age of 62 and who are not in a financial position to retire. Retained firefighters make up around two thirds of Ireland’s fire services and are particularly critical in rural areas like County Louth and regional communities. For many retained firefig…
I thank the Minister of State for his answer, but it does not go to the heart of the issue, which is that these retained firefighters have to retire at 62. I am going to repeat much of what I said in my four minutes. These people have bills to pay and families to support. They are fighting fit and able to work. They want to work, and there is dignity in the fact that they want to work. They want to be of service to t…
I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case:
Deputies Dessie Ellis and Paul McAuliffe - To discuss the new school building for Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin, Bóthar Ghlas Naíon, Finglas East, Dublin 11.
Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss supports for children and students with dyslexia.
Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To d…
I want to raise the ongoing and deeply frustrating situation facing retired CIÉ pensioners in County Louth and across the country, many of whom have not received any pension increase since 2008. These are men and women who have worked for decades in public transport and who often kept the wheels turning in both good times and bad. Last May, after 17 years, CIÉ and the trade unions finally reached agreement on proposa…
I am encouraged by the Tánaiste's words and by the fact that the Ministers are taking this very seriously. Time passes very quickly and the older you get, it passes even quicker. For a lot of these pensioners, what they are looking for is very modest but it will make a great difference in their daily lives. Time, for them, is really of the essence. I take the Tánaiste's point about communication. Fundamentally, that …
I welcome the Our Rural Future policy consultation process. It is a further step to re-addressing and rebalancing the regional balance, which is so vital for all of us in this country. It is essential if we are to provide better services and better infrastructure for not just our rural areas but also for our rural villages and towns.
I have listened to comments from the Opposition over the last ten or 15 minutes. Th…
I thank the Deputy.
I thank the Deputy.
I thank the Deputy.
I thank the Deputy and call the Minister of State.
Thank you, Deputy.
In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.