Mary Butler
Waterford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Major improvements are happening across services: enhanced access to proactive and preventive healthcare to support a better quality of life; the embedding and upscaling of women's health initiatives put in place through the implementation of the previous women's health action plans, including, as the Senator knows, free contraception, sp…”
“In relation to any proposal, a proposal for a new location requires a detailed business case, a premises, support from the regional HSE management, and the necessary funding to resource the staffing of the service. That is where I come into it and what I will be trying to do.”
“We are currently working closely with it to support the expansion of Jigsaw services to Waterford and the south east, as well as to County Clare. The location of Waterford was picked because we have no services in the south east at all. It is great that we will have the hub and spoke model the Senator spoke about.”
“That is where I do not agree with the Senator. I believe €180 million of funding ring-fenced for women's health, when we have come from a low base, is absolutely unbelievable.”
“The plan will build on our knowledge of women's health through research and innovation and will spotlight important areas such as endometriosis and cardiovascular health. Recently, the Minister announced €2 million in funding for women's health research.”
“This plan will continue to focus on how we can improve access to specialist endometriosis care and treatment. As the Senator knows, we have established two super-regional specialist centres, one in Tallaght University Hospital and another in Cork, alongside the development of five regional endometriosis hubs.”
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“In relation to any proposal, a proposal for a new location requires a detailed business case, a premises, support from the regional HSE management, and the necessary funding to resource the staffing of the service. That is where I come into it and what I will be trying to do. Any new proposal also requires agreement from the HSE national child and youth mental health office, which I work very closely with in the context of agreeing new service priorities. The whole focus now as we deliver services across Ireland is from a heat map of geographical locations pinpointing the areas that do not have a particular service. That is what I want to do. I look forward to working closely with the Senator on this because I recognise, appreciate and acknowledge that it is crying out for a youth mental health service such as Jigsaw in her area.”
“I am hearing the Senator loud and clear. There is only a short time but there are two things I want to address now. The reply that has been provided also outlines the supports that are available in Kildare, which I will put on the record of the Seanad. Kildare In Sync provides a wide range of youth and family services. The Naas Child and Family Project is part of In Sync youth and family services. In Sync also provides youth counselling service to 11 to 25-year-olds, and supports the LGBT community. It is important to say that there are supports there. I visited the CAMHS teams in Linn Dara last year and want to compliment the really good work that is going on.”
“If we were able to rent a premises in a particular area, working with local authorities and the community on the ground, it is very helpful.”
“We are just starting with the Estimates process now and I will be working really hard to secure the funding to expand a youth mental health service provision, as these go out to tender as well. My aim is to make sure that there will be another presence of Jigsaw within budget 2027. The Senator's area is very high up on the list to deliver a Jigsaw. We have a few areas that specifically need them, we all know where they are and Kildare is one of them. I will continue to work with the Senator on this because it is really important. I was able to work very closely with Waterford City and County Council to secure a premises in Waterford. It is very difficult to provide the funding for the premises plus the services.”
“We are currently working closely with it to support the expansion of Jigsaw services to Waterford and the south east, as well as to County Clare. The location of Waterford was picked because we have no services in the south east at all. It is great that we will have the hub and spoke model the Senator spoke about. Jigsaw will be based in the city but will have a spoke into west Waterford and other areas of the south east. It is also expanding to County Clare. We have a Jigsaw in Limerick and we are going to put a spoke in there. Kildare is high on my agenda in respect of Jigsaw. It speaks for itself, with the statistics the Senator has provided and the number of young people. The HSE working with Jigsaw would have the ultimate decision on location but Newbridge having 36% of the population really speaks to a massive demand.”
“As the Senator is quite aware, no new physical Jigsaw locations had been funded between 2020 and 2025, when the organisation pivoted to develop a suite of new digital services. I want to make it really clear that no matter where people are in the country, they can contact Jigsaw online. However, after Covid it became very clear again that young people like the physical interaction of being able to go to a physical location. In 2022 I opened a Jigsaw in Tipperary, which had been funded previously. We have not opened one since because the digital services were available to all young people. Jigsaw also went through a restructuring phase and has come out of that really well. It has reduced the waiting list, which is really important.”
“The Senator is also quite right that only 2% of young people thankfully will need the support of CAMHS. However there are a lot of other supports that we need to provide, whether through youth clubs, Foróige, family resource centres or the likes of Jigsaw, early interventions or primary care psychology. All of that working together can support an awful lot of young people so they do not end up needing the support of CAMHS. I have worked with Jigsaw since coming into this role six years ago and compliment it on the work it does. Jigsaw will receive almost €16.5 million from the HSE under a service level agreement in 2026 from the mental health budget, to provide youth mental health services for those with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter in the House today and for her consistent and persistent advocacy in support of expanding youth mental health services in Kildare. This is not new to the Senator. She has been doing this for as long as I have known her, over her ten years in these Houses, in advocating for positive youth mental health supports, positive well-being and those crisis interventions when they are needed most. In developing child and youth mental health services, the HSE aims to promote positive mental health. The Senator is quite right in what she said. We have about 1.2 million young people under 18 in Ireland now. Ten or 12 years ago that figure was about 900,000 so there is more of a demand for services.”
“We have 16 funded eating disorder teams. When I came into this post in 2020, we had one. We have six regional fertility hubs. Have we more to do? We absolutely do, but what we have is a dedicated focus, dedicated funding and a Government that wants to keep delivering for women's health.”
“That is where I do not agree with the Senator. I believe €180 million of funding ring-fenced for women's health, when we have come from a low base, is absolutely unbelievable. If you look at the women's health action plan for the period 2026 to 2027, you see it is all about listening, investing, delivering and repeating in respect of women's health. We are listening to women, investing, delivering and repeating. The plan runs in two-year cycles, ensuring targeted actions and continued momentum for improvements to the health experiences and outcomes of women and girls in Ireland. For example, HRT would be funded under the drugs budget, which is a massive €4 billion per year. It would not be coming out of here. We now have 18 see-and-treat ambulatory gynaecology clinics. That has all happened in the past six years.”
“Fertility specialists can investigate and manage endometriosis and, where clinically indicated, refer patients for publicly funded assisted human reproduction treatment. On the Senator's question, any consideration of the introduction or use of saliva-based genetic tests for endometriosis in the Irish public health service would be a matter for the HSE, in consultation with clinical experts in the field of endometriosis and the Department.”
“This plan will continue to focus on how we can improve access to specialist endometriosis care and treatment. As the Senator knows, we have established two super-regional specialist centres, one in Tallaght University Hospital and another in Cork, alongside the development of five regional endometriosis hubs. There was specific investment of over €5 million in the provision of these specialised services between 2021 and 2025. This includes investment of over €2 million last year to further drive the development of these services. The national endometriosis framework recognises the importance of timely fertility support for women. It promotes integrated care between fertility and endometriosis services, with structured referral pathways supporting women to access the most appropriate care for their needs.”
“Major improvements are happening across services: enhanced access to proactive and preventive healthcare to support a better quality of life; the embedding and upscaling of women's health initiatives put in place through the implementation of the previous women's health action plans, including, as the Senator knows, free contraception, specialist menopause services, mental health services, ambulatory gynaecology clinics and postnatal hubs; the promotion of social inclusion, connectedness and equity to improve the experiences of marginalised groups of women; and the spotlighting of key areas that women and girls have asked us to prioritise, including endometriosis. We know that endometriosis is one of the most common gynaecological conditions in Ireland, affecting approximately one in seven women, although the true number is unknown.”
“The plan will build on our knowledge of women's health through research and innovation and will spotlight important areas such as endometriosis and cardiovascular health. Recently, the Minister announced €2 million in funding for women's health research. This is the first time Irish research funding has been dedicated specifically to women's health. The Minister has put a huge focus on endometriosis since she came into the role. It is important to note that, during our Presidency of the EU, one of the four major conferences that will be held in Ireland will be on endometriosis. Another will be on mental health, I am delighted to say. The €2 million investment aims to address a historical gap in knowledge and understanding of women's health issues and the impact of gender on health outcomes and experiences.”
“Since the establishment of the women's health task force in 2019, more than €180 million in additional funding has been invested in women's health. That was needed, and we all agree wholeheartedly on that. The Department of Health now has Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as Minister, but also two Ministers of State, namely Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor and me. In the previous Dáil, it was the same in that there were two female Ministers. That is reflected in what we have seen in relation to the women's health task force, and from all the female Members in this Dáil, the last Dáil and the Seanad, who brought to the fore the fact that women's health had not been funded and was not given the respect it deserved.”
“I thank the Senator for the way she has portrayed this in relation to welcoming the positives because we have made a lot of changes in the past six years especially. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to update the House on the third women's health action plan that was launched on 8 July. To be fair, the Senator asked about 25 questions, so there is absolutely no way I will be able to get through them all. I have to put on the record that in the past five years the Government has made considerable progress in women's health, publishing three women's health action plans setting out practical actions and targeted investments to improve experiences and health outcomes for women and girls across Ireland.”
“They feel that there is a little bit more work to do before the initiative is ready to mainstream. On funding, as the Deputy will know, we now have six regional health areas. Each regional executive officer can mainstream these types of supports. There is a little bit more to do. We will then be able to roll it out.”
“I thank the Deputy for his support for CAST. I am extremely proud of this pilot project, which we started working on in 2022. I compliment Superintendent Andrew Lacey, who has done phenomenal work on this for many years. At our initial conference in UL, we heard from police forces from Canada, elsewhere in North America, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The pilot has been really impressive. As the Deputy has said, it has resulted in 133 people being deflected away from emergency departments. For anyone who does not know, how it works is that, when gardaí respond, a dedicated mental health clinical nurse practitioner travels in the car and intervenes when it is safe to do so. I spoke with the superintendent last week. I have also spoken with the regional executive officer, Sandra Broderick.”
“Mediation should now be the next step. The ordeal you have endured is incomprehensible. You have been to hell and back, but your courage forced the truth into the open. Your persistence ensured that the failures could no longer be ignored. The State cannot change what happened but it can acknowledge the truth. It can accept responsibility for its failures and commit itself to standing with you now and in the future. Today, and every day, our focus must be on you, the victims and the survivors.”
“Children were not protected when they should have been. Those failures compounded the harms suffered. As a Waterford TD, as a Minister of State in this Government, as a mother, I am profoundly sorry for what happened to you. I am sorry that you as children were not protected. I am sorry that warnings were not acted upon. I am sorry for the years you spent seeking answers, seeking recognition and seeking justice. I wish to thank An Taoiseach for the State apology. An apology must be accompanied by actions. As survivors, you must have access to counselling, mental health supports and practical assistance for as long as you need them. The Government will engage constructively and compassionately on the recommendations arising from the commission's work, including any measures necessary to provide meaningful recognition and redress.”
“Justice White, his team and the former chair, Judge Barry Hickson, for the comprehensiveness of the investigation, which fully vindicates all those who were subject to the most appalling abuse by Bill Kenneally. The report makes clear that opportunities existed to stop the abuse sooner, especially in 1987 and 2001. Individuals and institutions who should have acted failed to do so. The report found that two senior gardaí in Waterford, Sean Cashman and PJ Hayes, a school principal, the South-Eastern Health Board, Monsignor Shine and two former Waterford Fianna Fáil TDs, Billy Kenneally Snr. and Brendan Kenneally, failed the victims. Whether they stayed silent, failed to act or actively sought to conceal the truth, their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable by any standard then and now.”
“To the survivors of Bill Kenneally’s horrific abuse, to your families and your loved ones, and to those joining us in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery and the Gallery upstairs, I want to begin by acknowledging your courage. For decades, you carried a burden that should never have been yours to bear. Today is about you, about your experiences and about the failures that allowed you to be so grievously let down. I have listened intently to the survivors’ testimonies in recent weeks in the wake of the report’s publication. You have spoken about vindication, closure, moving on with your lives and healing. It is my sincere hope that today’s State apology will help you on that journey. I want to acknowledge the work of Mr.”
“I move: That, in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform pursuant to Standing Order 128(2)( b ), a Special Committee on Preventing and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is hereby established, with Orders of Reference as contained in the report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled " Establishing Special Committee on Preventing and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence ", a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 9th July, 2026.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 15th July, 2026, approves the Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 9th July, 2026.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann, in accordance with section 8(3)( a ) of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003, as amended, appoints Deputy Ged Nash to be an ordinary member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in place of Deputy Jennifer Whitmore who has resigned her office in accordance with the aforementioned section 8.”
“As part of budget 2026, €15 million in additional funding was provided for a crisis response. We are starting with ten hospitals, namely nine model 4 hospitals and one model 3 hospital. The model 3 hospital is the Mercy hospital in Cork, which had 1,200 presentations last year. Teams of nurses will be put in place to help non-consultant hospital doctors during out-of-hours periods. What I hope to do, with the help of the Minister, in budget 2027 is expand it to the model 3 hospitals. Sligo is very lucky because it has one of the six crisis resolution teams in the country. It also has the crisis cafe. I visited the hospital recently. It has a state-of-the-art department of psychiatry. My intention is to roll this out to model 3 hospitals next year.”
“As Deputies know, at the Business Committee last Thursday morning at 11 a.m., which the Ceann Comhairle chaired, two requests were made. One related to statements on the fiscal implications of a united Ireland. A request was made for additional time, and that was facilitated. Requests were also made for statements on Bessborough. I checked with the Minister. She is away on Government duty and it is not possible to have those statements this week. We have a huge amount of legislation to get through this week before the recess. It is really important, so the Order of Business stands.”
“the Statements on the Fiscal Implications of a United Ireland shall not exceed 3 hours and 32 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); ( b ) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and ( c ) members may share time. Gov SF SD Gov SF Mins 35 25 15 15 5 Lab Gov SF IPTG Gov Mins 15 15 5 12 15 SF ITG Gov SF OM Mins 5 12 15 5 8 Total: 3 hours 22 mins”
“notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: ( a ) topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and ( b ) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 16th September, 2026; and 2.”
“the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income and Capital Gains) (Sweden) Order 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 9. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and 10. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1.”
“the proceedings on Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026 Committee and remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health; 7. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income and on Capital) (the Principality of Liechtenstein) Order 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 8.”
“the proceedings on the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 amendments from the Seanad shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours, and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; 6.”
“the proceedings on Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026 Committee and remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes by one question, which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; 4. the proceedings on the Guardianship of Infants and Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2026 amendments from the Seanad shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour, and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; 5.”
“the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:- — opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes; — speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, the Labour Party, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group; — speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes in total; and — a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; and ( b ) members may share time; 3.”
“notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: ( a ) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.; ( b ) Oral Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) which were to be taken on Tuesday, shall be taken after Questions on Policy or Promised Legislation; ( c ) the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) shall be taken immediately following Taoiseach’s Oral Parliamentary Questions, which shall be taken at the time when the SOS would normally be taken; ( d ) the Motion re Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, shall be taken immediately following the SOS; and ( e ) the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on any motions without debate; 2.”
“the proceedings on the Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026 Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) the first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); ( b ) on conclusion of the first speaking round, or where speeches conclude before the 1 hour and 42 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; Provided that any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday, 15 July 2026; and ( c ) members may share time; Gov SF SD Gov SF Mins 10 10 10 6 2 Lab Gov SF IPTG Gov Mins 10 6 2 10 6 SF ITG Gov SF OM Mins 2 10 6 2 10 Total: 1 hour 42 mins In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1.”
“the Statements of Apology following the publication of the Report of the South East Commission of Investigation shall not exceed 2 hours and 20 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across); ( b ) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make statements in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and ( c ) members may share time; and Gov SF SD Gov SF Mins 30 15 10 8 3 Lab Gov SF IPTG Gov Mins 10 8 3 9 7 SF ITG Gov SF OM Mins 3 9 7 3 5 Total: 2 hours 10 mins 7.”
“the revised Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 and Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 6.”
“the proceedings on the Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission shall be taken without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately; 3. the proceedings on the Motion re Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately; 4. the proceedings on the Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform Establishing Special Committee on Preventing and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence shall be taken without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately; 5.”
“notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: ( a ) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and ( b ) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken, and Government business shall commence at the time when Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken ( c ) the Order of the Dáil of 7th July 2026 referring the Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 and Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 is hereby discharged 2.”
“Thursday's business shall be: - Statements on the Fiscal Implications of a United Ireland ( to conclude within 3 hours and 32 minutes ) Thursday evening business shall be the Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026 (Second Stage), sponsored by Deputy Marie Sherlock. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1.”
“Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026 ( to be taken immediately following the SOS and to conclude within 1 hour, and any division claimed shall be taken immediately ) - Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026 [Seanad] (Committee and remaining Stages) ( to conclude within 1 hour and 30 minutes ) - Guardianship of Infants and Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Amendments from the Seanad) ( to conclude within 1 hour ) - Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Amendments from the Seanad) ( to conclude within 3 hours ) - Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026 (Committee and remaining Stages) ( to conclude within 30 minutes ) - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income and on Capital) (the Principality of Liechtenstein) Order 2026 ( without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately ) - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income and Capital Gains) (Sweden) Order 2026 ( without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately ) - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 ( without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately ) - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 ( without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately ) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Digital Divide and Back to School Costs, selected by Labour Party.”
“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 shall be taken immediately ) - Motion re Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection ( without debate and any division claimed shall be taken immediately ) - Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform Establishing Special Committee on Preventing and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence ( without debate and any division claimed shall be taken immediately ) - Motion re Referral to Joint Committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026 and Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 ( without debate and any division claimed shall be taken immediately ) - Statement of Apology following the publication of the Report of the South East Commission of Investigation ( not to exceed 2 hours and 20 minutes ) - Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026 [Seanad] (Second Stage) (to conclude after the first round, not to exceed 1 hour and 52 minutes and any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Protecting the Copyright of Irish Artists in the era of Artificial Intelligence, selected by Sinn Féin.”
“The reason that was opened was because it was ring-fenced, specific funding that was not spent on anything else. I was the Minister of State in 2020 who made dementia supports critical, ring-fenced and specific. The money could not be used for any other reason, other than for those services only. We have to continue to do that, and I know the Minister will do so. I give a shout-out to Jordan and Cian Adams, who are here today with their family remembering their beloved mother, Geraldine. She would be so proud of them today. I guarantee she is looking down on them and thanking them, as do I, for all the advocacy they are doing for every single person around the world, especially here in Ireland, who is living with dementia because it is not easy.”
“Six years ago last week, I was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for older people and mental health and I my role now is as Minister of State with responsibility for mental health. We have to partner with our NGOs, and one of the best partnerships I have experienced has been with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. I cannot compliment it enough on the work it does because every single cent that goes to the organisation from the budget is spent on services. There is no fuss, no frills and no fancy, just the services people need. The Minister knows very well that the importance of having ring-fenced, specific funding cannot be underestimated. I have just come from Ballyfermot, where I opened an early intervention in psychosis team, our tenth team.”
“Only in the last week, I was delighted to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, down to Cappoquin in west Waterford where, working with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, we opened another day service which is open three days a week. This provides a specific day of respite for families of someone with dementia. Their loved one can go there from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., which gives them the vital respite they need. The importance of that is that we already have the premises. We are using the physical capacity we have, which we can expand. We are able to deliver that service for 40,000 for a whole year, one day a week, in a premises we already have. I want to talk briefly about the partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. I have partnered with many organisations.”
“People with dementia were at home and could not leave the house but we were able to fund day services in the home. My aunt gets a block of three hours on a Wednesday morning and she is able to go to the golf club. Those three hours are precious to her because she is living this 24-7 with her beloved husband, my godfather. Having those wrap-around supports is absolutely vital. We cannot underestimate how important they are. When someone gets a diagnosis they have an adviser, who is invaluable. I cannot say that often enough. They have dementia-specific support. We now have up to 62 days centres.”
“They give advice that is tailored to the individual and they also support the family. We know that an awful lot of older people in Ireland with dementia, including my own godfather, can live very well in their own communities with the wrap-around supports of the 62 specific day centres that we have. Some of them still go to the other 320-odd day centres around the country until it comes to a stage when it is just not suitable any more. Day care support in the home is an absolutely amazing facility to have. During the Covid pandemic, I was delighted to partner with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. I acknowledge many of its members who are here today, including Andy, Kathy, Siobhán and Kevin Quaid who has been doing advocacy in relation to Lewy body dementia for many years. During the pandemic, day centres were closed because of Covid.”
“Every day in Ireland, 30 new cases of dementia are diagnosed. Yesterday, there were 30 new cases of dementia and tomorrow there will be a further 30 new cases of dementia. That initial diagnosis is absolutely devastating for every family. Having one person with that diagnosis impacts the whole family. That shows the importance of having dementia advisers in place. Between 2016 and 2020, I co-chaired the all-party committee with the former Senator, Colette Kelleher. At that stage, we had about eight dementia advisers in the country. I believe we now have 37. The difference they have made to every person who gets that diagnosis cannot be underestimated. When people get a dementia diagnosis they are devastated. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to dementia. Dementia advisers wrap their arms around the patient and the family.”
“Excuse me, Deputy. You will get your opportunity to respond. A total of €190 million has been provided from the mental health budget this year for CAMHS across all definitions. Is the Deputy trying to tell me that he does not want to see a roll-out of ADHD teams, perinatal mental health services or eating disorders services in order to fund mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities? We have six different clinical programmes. It is my job as Minister of State to make sure I build each and every one of the services incrementally. That is exactly what we will continue to do.”