Paula Butterly
Louth · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for the updates. It is important to note that there is going to be more extensive engagement with students. I recently met a group of students from County Louth. We had a lively, truthful and open conversation, particularly with the boys who are attending all-boys schools.”
“I, too, welcome the scoping exercise in relation to the allegations of sexual abuse made against Michael Shine. Like the Tánaiste, I was struck by the words of the victims and survivors in noting that finally, they had been heard. I was also struck by their saying that finally, they had been believed.”
“I thank the Minister for that information and join her in congratulating the Lourdes hospital for getting on top of the issue of waiting lists and for the good work all the staff are doing, led by the new general manager.”
“Our Lady of Lourdes serves about 360,000 people in its catchment area at the moment and I believe that is growing rapidly. Going back to the idea that it is effectively a model 4 hospital while being classed as model 3, there is a case for looking at and expanding the services in Our Lady of Lourdes and making it a model 4 hospital.”
“The Minister is exactly right. We have food and drink of the highest quality produced at a local level by great producers in County Louth. The core element to producing this food and drink is our farmers. Our farmers are struggling at the moment, particularly those in the tillage sector.”
“It is great that 34% of tourism funding is directed towards food and drink, but that also highlights the scope we have to develop it even further. As a result, I welcome this strategy. However, a strategy is only as good as its implementation.”
The complete record
Every one of 233 lines we hold for Paula Butterly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 5.
“I thank the Minister. I will go back over the criteria for free travel. One can get a free travel pass if one is in receipt of disability allowance, blind pension, carer's allowance or invalidity pension. Leaving out the domiciliary care allowance is an anomaly in itself. It is quite unfair. The domiciliary care allowance is provided to parents and guardians of children under 16 who have a severe disability and who require substantially more care and attention, which involves more costs, than a child of the same age without a disability. It is based on the children's level of physical and mental impairment and the ongoing care they need. Free travel would often be of great benefit because there are a great many costs associated with taking care of a child with severe disabilities. I refer to treatments, appointments and loss of income.”
“Very often, simply because it takes longer for them to get there and back, they do not want to go to the rural areas because they can do three or four calls in the same time it takes to do one call in a rural area. We need to revisit what we are doing for the carers who have such a responsibility towards our loved ones. I ask the Minister of State to review that too.”
“We also must take care of rural areas in particular. I come from a rural area in County Louth. We have to find a fair deal scheme that is fair to farmers which allows them to have a better access to the actual scheme. We also have to look at the carers because the carers often provide an invaluable service. They do not become a carer but rather a friend to the family and to the person they are talking care of. Unfortunately, a bad road, pothole or laneway can mean the carers cannot get there because of the conditions of the road. Many of these carers are not paid appropriately. They do not get car allowances to do the mileage to go down country roads.”
“We, as loved ones, are the better for it as well. They are healthier, more mobile, and more stimulated. All the things a family can give to a loved one is missing in a nursing home, no matter how good it is. I urge that we find a system to keep our loved ones in the home. I urge the Minister of State to bring that about. I know he is working on a similar fair deal scheme to keep people in the home. It cannot be that difficult. I am a great believer that where there is a will, there is a way. We can and must do this. We cannot be here again in one year or in five years talking about another “RTÉ Investigates” programme because this is not the first time. We know that during Covid there were plenty of issues in nursing homes in County Louth. The Minister of State will be well aware of those issues. There are still questions to be answered.”
“I had the opportunity to listen to the son of that gentleman in the RTÉ programme. He voiced so many concerns that I, my family members and so many other people think about every day when you have a person in a nursing home. What was on the paperwork did not match up to the actual care happening on a day-to-day basis. It caused me to reflect. The Minister of State and I have spoken on this issue several times. As a former councillor and a TD, I am passionate that we find a system to the equivalent of the fair deal scheme which will allow our parents and loved ones to stay in their homes for as long as they possibly can and, hopefully, until the end of their days. This is fundamental. The statistics and facts back it up. The longer we can keep our loved ones in their home, the better they are for it.”
“There is no doubt that everyone has come into the Chamber to talk about the RTÉ programme. As a daughter who had a father in residential care, and as a sister who has a 55-year-old brother in residential care with Lewy body syndrome, I actually could not watch the programme. Like many people who have a parent or a member of the family in residential care, we are often overridden by guilt. Even when it is the best option for our loved ones, we often wonder whether it is the best solution or whether we could have done something more, such as getting more support at home or pulling an extra hour or two out of the day in order to help them stay at home. I missed the programme on the first evening and avoided watching it thereafter. I find it difficult to go to visit my brother.”
“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.”
“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 unknown and potentially having his or her details relived in court. That in itself could be an impediment to a victim getting justice at a trial and coming forward.”
“Indeed, a recent Supreme Court judgement said there was no basis for the introduction of these notes on the basis of relevance.”
“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 by the DPP to prove a case, is traumatic for them. Many counsellors, groups and victims have come to me and expressed their horror that this could continue again and again. Many have pointed out how this could impede victims coming forward. While I understand the balancing of rights is necessary to have a fair trial, I do not believe counselling notes have any place within a trial.”
“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?”
“Counties Carlow, Laois, Offaly and Kilkenny have nine testing centres to service a population of 340,000. Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan have four test centres to service a population of more than 500,000. That is over half a million people. Portlaoise town has a population of 24,000 and has two test centres. Drogheda has a population tipping 50,000 and no test centre. This is grossly disproportionate and hugely unfair to the people of County Louth and of Drogheda and the surrounding areas. I seek the Minister of State's urgent attention and ask him to intervene and secure a site for a driving test centre in Drogheda. Given the length of time it has taken up to now to get nowhere, I am asking the Minister of State to help us to get somewhere.”
“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 please the OPW or the RSA. It beggars belief that despite the suggestions from various TDs, including my former colleague Fergus O'Dowd, not one suitable site can be found in Drogheda. A site needs to be identified with urgency as the population of County Louth and Drogheda is growing rapidly and we are completely out of sync with the rest of the country. I will give an example.”
“Gillen's main concern, however, is that should a tit-for-tat response deepen over a prolonged period, the company could be affected not only in the short term but it could permanently lose skilled staff. The current situation is very fluid and the unpredictable nature of announcements from across the pond can leave the modelling of scenarios and even the implementation of solutions somewhat in flux. I welcome the news that we will continue to support and invest in our SMEs, but I urge that we are nimble in our response to their needs as they arise. Businesses and their employees face uncertainty. It is therefore our responsibility to reassure them and give them as much certainty in these uncharted times as is reasonably possible.”
“Over the past few days, I spoke to the managing director of Blueacre Technology. This is a company that provides specialist components to the medical device industry. Its labour force is highly skilled as the company has invested significantly in upskilling and training its employees. As its CEO, Dr. David Gillen, pointed out, the company did not hang about for the last few weeks or for the announcement last week but tried to make changes to lessen the impact of any trade tariffs. It has been exploring other opportunities for some months, as it felt the trading relationship was about to change. It was changed forever last Friday when the company lost all its US orders. Dr.”
“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 to its strategic location, skilled labour force and cross-Border connections and links, County Louth is home to a diverse base of businesses. There is a blend of start-ups, established SMEs and international firms. Some 92% of businesses are SMEs which employ fewer than ten people, yet many are part of a complex supply chain, whose end product is exported across the globe.”
“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 former glory. The town has always been vibrant and once attracted people from near and far. We need to get these regulations in place and get the committees and partnerships set up. We also need to follow through with the investment, which will be vital to ensure that Drogheda and Dundalk, but particularly Drogheda town receives all the investment it needs to make it a safe place and safe community to work and live in.”
“It is through the key stakeholders and the leaders of the community, along with An Garda Síochána. This has been very effective. We have seen that with the Drogheda implementation board, which received investment of €16 million. It has brought about changes, investment in youth diversion programmes, extra policing and also key, crucial programmes for community groups. The establishment of the new local community safety partnerships, LCSPs, is not only crucial to towns like Drogheda and Dundalk, but also to Ardee and Dunleer in their hinterlands, as well as the smaller villages like Castlebellingham, Tallanstown and Louth. I urge for these regulations to come fast and furious.”
“The community spirit in the county is very strong, however. Places and communities like the Redeemer Family Resource Centre and Moneymore in Drogheda, despite the challenges they have faced in recent decades, have a strong spirit and are still standing strong. I visisted Moneymore in Drogheda this morning where staff are in the process of fund-raising for a new community centre. They are openly there not just to revive and face the challenges of their own community but also to welcome in the other people of Drogheda and all the communities in the hinterland. We need to be supporting communities like these as they face these challenges. Towns like Drogheda, as the mayor of Drogheda, Paddy McQuillan, has urged me again and again, need support. How do we get that collaboration?”
“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 on crime in County Louth, to say that we, as a Border county, have had a unique relationship with crime is no mystery to anyone. In recent decades, however, we have seen a shift in the manner of crime being committed within the county. We have seen gangland and rural crime, not to mention drug crime within the county devastating communities and trying to tear them apart.”
“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 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 term "older age" does not sit right with me as I advance towards it perhaps, but I would like to hear a little more about those plans, particularly for the women of County Louth.”
“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 and have tended not to ask us how we are.”
“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, because every mile they do is a mile in pain for them.”
“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 turn my attention, and the Minister's, to the PANCR project in Ballymakenny, which, as he knows, is proposed in four phases. When completed it will deliver approximately 7,000 homes. Phase 1 has now been completed and phase 2 will shortly begin. The diggers are ready to go and the cranes are in the air. Both of these phases are unique, in that they have been funded by Louth County Council and HISCo in partnership. The critical phase is phase 3. While I understand there is open communication between his Department and the local authority, I urge the Minister to come to an understanding as quickly as possible to ensure we move seamlessly from phase 1 to phase 3 and continue to build the houses in and around Drogheda. Funding streams must be agreed and planned well ahead. In short, I am asking the Minister not to stall the digger.”
“It is that when we come to reviewing the national planning framework, we give serious consideration to these recommendations and figure out how to allow rural housing to thrive while living within the parameters and allowing these areas of outstanding beauty not to be tainted. Rather than obstacles being put in their way, I want us to work together to ensure that young people get to build in their communities and beside their families. By no means do I want to see the countryside filled with housing estates or apartment blocks. Nor do I want to see Togher become the Hamptons of County Louth where only those of long standing or the rich can afford to live there. Let us remember that rural living is the fabric of our essence.”
“They are having to juggle applications of all shapes and sizes, not to mention the number of freedom of information requests they must deal with, often to simply satisfy nosey neighbours. They take their guidelines not just from the EU, but from the Office of the Planning Regulator, which sometimes takes an obstinate view of rural housing. I welcome the report. I see that it recognises that rural communities are confronted with unique challenges in housing, which causes "high rates of outward migration and ultimately [leads] to population decline." I also commend the recommendations and note that many of these are already in action. My ask on rural housing is quite simple.”
“However, the number of young people who are being denied an opportunity to build a home in their community is increasing. These are the young people who contribute to our GAA clubs and whose children should be going to our local schools. Not a week goes by that I do not have numerous requests from these young people about the challenges they face in getting planning. Sometimes when I look at the reasons, I shake my head in disbelief as some of them seem nonsensical. Let us not forget the costs associated with putting a planning application together. These days they run into the thousands of euro. I acknowledge that the planning departments across the country are up to their eyes in work.”
“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 Louth. It has open countryside coupled with gorgeous coastline and a blue flag beach and port. There are numerous areas like this in the wee county. We have Monasterboice with its high crosses and tower, Clogherhead with its proud tradition of fishing and Carlingford with its castle, mint and medieval town walls. The common thread is that all of these areas are lively rural communities.”
“While we have very long waiting times and while in County Louth, we need a whole series of additional services, what strikes me is the lack of community services for when these young children become young adults and fully fledged adults in later life. I recently visited Rehab with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and we spoke to many of the users there. I would invite anyone to go down and visit at any stage because they really put a pep in your step and fill your hearts with joy. The fact of the matter is without these community services we cannot guarantee that these people will not inappropriately or prematurely end up in nursing homes. Can we ensure that these people will never finish up inappropriately in nursing homes?”
“I recently spoke to a mother of a son with ASD and a series of complex issues. She is spending between €500 and €600 each month on the various therapies that she requires for him. That is before the cost of petrol, time off and any of the additional things she needs for her son. It is also before she tends to the care of her other two children. This is nothing new and we are well aware of it. I welcome the Minister's statements and the plan for Government to address these issues. Funnily enough, the biggest question this mother has as she is running from pillar to post is: "What happens if something happens to me?" What happens when she is gone?”
“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 time that I am in this Dáil that I will always represent them as true as I possibly can. I will be proud and always very, very Louth. As the Minister knows, Louth is the most densely populated county in the country after Dublin. We have a dire lack of OT services. The queues and waiting times for speech and language therapy, have gone from months into years, as many of colleagues have said.”