Results 41-60 of 12,087 for speaker:Mary Butler

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I-----

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I move amendment No. 25: In page 32, line 39, to delete “for recommendation” and substitute “for a recommendation”. I will move amendments Nos. 25, 46, 62, 65, 97 to 101, inclusive, and 112, which have been grouped. These are all technical amendments required to correct various typographical errors in the Bill as amended.

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I move amendment No. 26: In page 33, line 36, after “Justice” to insert “, Home Affairs and Migration”.

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I do not believe amendment No. 29 is necessary as, under the Bill, a person may only be involuntarily admitted when the consultant psychiatrist believes that person has a mental disorder that meets the criteria for involuntary admission. If at any point during the person's admission the responsible consultant psychiatrist no longer believes the person meets the criteria for involuntary...

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputy Clarke for the amendment. Section 8 of the Bill provides for a review of the operation of this enactment five years after its commencement. If it is necessary for a review to be carried out sooner than five years after the commencement of this enactment, that option will be available to the Government of the day. Section 8 of the Bill provides for a review to take place not...

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I am satisfied with the five years. The whole Bill will not all be enacted on the same day. I expect the parts of it regarding the governance of CAMHS and community premises to come first. The changeover in age verification and the piece in regard to voluntary detention and the Garda may take longer until we have all the authorised officers in place. To set a definitive timeline of two...

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: Again, I am satisfied. It is a massive piece of legislation, as the Deputy knows, with 220 different sections. A huge number of changes will be made to how we deliver mental health services and there will also be major change for those who deliver mental health services. It will be a staggered, incremental roll-out of the Bill, in terms of a review for a service that might only be up and...

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I do not intend to rehearse the extensive debate on similar amendments which Deputy Clarke raised on Committee Stage. I acknowledge the amendment tabled by Deputy Quaide. I already moved the Government amendment on Committee Stage to amend the definition of "mental disorder" by inserting references to "serious" and "significant" in the definition to address concerns the definition was...

Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I move amendment No. 8: In page 21, lines 4 and 5, to delete “Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform” and substitute “Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation”. The amendments in this grouping are all technical amendments relating to changes required to ministerial titles previously used in the...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2025: First Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: No.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: Last Wednesday.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I thank the Deputy for his question about primary care provision for Rathdowney and Mountrath. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. He raised a couple of matters: plans for succession in GP practices, challenges in rural Laois and the primary care centres in Mountrath and Rathdowney. I will do my...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy very much for raising the issue of rural GP practices in County Laois. He said a site has not been identified for a primary care centre in Rathdowney. That is normal. It is because it is commercially sensitive. If the HSE has not purchased a site, it could drive up prices. I have seen the exact same situation in Lismore in County Waterford, where a site was not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: But that is the reason that is the case. If the HSE does not own the site and it talks about where it is, straightaway, in the main, prices can go up, so there is a commercial sensitivity around it.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: The HSE also tells me that there are no general medical services GP vacancies in County Louth. As we know, when a vacancy arises, the HSE actively recruits. I have a couple of positives for the Deputy. The new locum support initiative has commenced, which provides GPs in receipt of rural practice supports with access to a streamlined local recruitment service. This initiative is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Farrelly, for being in the Chair again. He is a regular on a Wednesday morning and it is much appreciated. I am surprised Deputy Daly is here because I thought he would be on his way to the High Court.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: It is not a question-and-answer session. While I was walking across to the Chamber, I was struck by how ironic it is that I am the first ever Minister of State with special responsibility for mental health at Cabinet, and the Deputy is trying to remove me, while here he is today asking me to come forward and find a solution for him. I was just struck by how ironic it is.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he will be aware, operational responsibility for the delivery of mental health services at local level is devolved directly to the relevant HSE regional health area, RHA, which in this case is the HSE South West RHA, and across all areas. I am aware, of course, that the HSE always aims to work in partnership with all relevant stakeholders in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: I am glad there are services in Killorglin because I would be disappointed if there were not. My understanding is that the HSE manager is actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders to facilitate accommodation that meets the needs of both services, the National Ambulance Service and, of course, the mental health supports, including the outpatient psychiatric facilities that support very...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.