On a point of clarity, Salient Ruling 751 states that the Gallery must be silent at all times. They were asked twice to be silent and they continued. Therefore, there was no option but to have them removed. Everybody has the right to speak here, to be heard and to be treated respectfully. It goes for the Members in the Chamber and for those in the Gallery.
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
121. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice if he will commit to the removal of the provision that allows counselling notes to be used in all legal proceedings in the proposed general scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law Bill 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25015/25]
I welcome the news that the general scheme of the criminal law and civil law Bill 2025 has now received Cabinet approval. Will the Minister commit to the removal of the provision that allows for counselling notes to be used in all legal proceedings?
I thank the Minister for that comprehensive answer. I understand fully the conflict he will face in trying to balance these rights. However, I want to point out the purpose of counselling notes. These notes are confidential. The are about helping victims on the road to recovery following a very traumatic and harrowing experience. The very idea that these notes could be exposed to the accused side, or indeed be used b…
I fear I am being repetitive on this issue. However, I am very passionate about it because I am aware of the trauma it causes victims. While I understand the legislation will give power to the judge to use his or her discretion on whether to allow these documents to be accessed by any defence team, it will be very subjective. It will put the victim in the position, prior to any trial, of entering into the zone of the…
I raise the lack of a driving test centre in Drogheda town. Louth Deputies have beaten a path to the RSA over the years and have continuously raised this issue in the Chamber. All they have ever received are generic replies stating that the Office of Public Works, OPW, and the RSA are continuing to try to find a suitable site. It is on record that a number of these sites have been proposed, yet nothing seems to pleas…
I welcome the opening statements by the Taoiseach and Ministers which recognise the threats faced by businesses and people at a global and national level. President Trump's "liberation day" did not come as a surprise to anybody. As the Minister for Finance outlined, deglobalisation has been under way for some time. One did not have to be a financial wizard to realise that the tariffs were simply not good news. Thanks…
I welcome the news that the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act will be commenced in the coming days. Following that, I welcome the news that the secondary legislation required for these regulations will also be enacted shortly thereafter. These regulations cannot come soon enough. The establishment of the chairs and the committees are sorely needed in counties like Louth. Without going into a history lesson …
I thank the Minister of State for his reply on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan. It very much reflects my own thoughts regarding these community safety partnerships. As I said at the outset, these cannot come about quickly enough. The partnerships are part of the community and policing coming together to work for the betterment of the community. Towns like Drogheda are now on the cusp of returning to their …
I ask the Minister, in respect of the women's health action plan, what are her intentions and what are the plans, particularly when it comes to endometriosis, as it affects nearly 155,000 women in this country.
I thank the Minister for the recognition of this very important issue. As she said, it has wide-ranging effects on women. Some can live with it day to day; others live in chronic pain. We have to highlight as well that many women have to go abroad in order to get some of the surgical treatment, so I welcome the fact that we will focus on this and get the surgical treatments for these women closer to where they live, …
77. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health her plans to advance the women's health action plan, specifically in respect of County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9741/25]
I wish to return to the women's health action plan, in particular when it comes to young women, specifically young women in County Louth. For far too long in decades gone by, women's health in this country was neglected and ignored, partly because women tend to take care of others ahead of themselves and also because men in general and the State in decades gone by have simply ignored women's issues and women's health…
I thank the Minister and welcome those updates. I turn my attention now to women in mid-life and older women in general. I have realised myself since I entered this Chamber and come down those very steep steps that my bones are tending to creak a little bit more than they were two months ago. There are programmes in the plan for bone health. This is a vital issue, especially for women in mid-life and older age. The t…
I also acknowledge the work being done on the cardiovascular health of women. As the Minister pointed out, the symptoms for women are not the same as those that present in men. Very often, we tend to ignore it. Through marketing, communication and just general acknowledgement these symptoms are different, we can definitely change the lives of many women across the country.
I wish the Minister well in his new role. I will raise two issues with him. The first is the issue of rural housing and the second is the port access northern cross route, PANCR, project in Ballymakenny, Drogheda. I live in an area that is viewed in the Louth county development plan as an area of outstanding beauty and I certainly concur with that as Togher is, in my view, one of the most beautiful sites in County Lo…
As it is my first time speaking in the Chamber, I ask the Ceann Comhairle to indulge me a moment as I thank the people of Togher, Dunleer, Ardee, Drogheda, Dundalk, Termonfeckin, the peninsula up in the north side of the county, and of course the constituents in east Meath for the faith they have placed in me and their trust that I will represent them to the best of my ability. I would like to reassure them for the t…