Speech by Mary Butler TD, Government Chief Whip and Minister for Mental Health

Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, 16 May 2026

A Chairde, delegates, Ministers, Deputies, Senators, Councillors, colleagues and friends,

It is a real honour to stand before you today — not just as Minister for Mental Health, not just as Government Chief Whip — but as a proud member and Vice-President of Fianna Fáil, as we mark 100 years since the founding of our great party.

For a century, our party has been focused on a very powerful idea – the strength of our Republic lies in the strength of our families, our communities and our shared sense of care for one another. And this matters as much today as it did in 1926.

Fianna Fáil in Government isn’t just focused on policy – we are focused on delivery – delivering for everyone who needs to access healthcare, delivering for everyone from the cradle to the grave if they need to navigate mental health challenges, and delivering for older people whether they want to remain living with dignity in their own home or they need to move to a nursing home.

Fianna Fáil’s goal is clear – delivering healthcare for everyone – when and where they need it. Healthcare for all is one of the most important – albeit unfinished – projects of our great Republic.

There’s still a road to travel, but Fianna Fáil in Government is delivering. Others say Health is not fixable, they are happy to sit permanently on the opposition benches and complain and criticise. Fianna Fáil has never shied away from a challenge, we know it’s not easy, but we also know it is essential to deliver, and that’s why the Fianna Fáil party in Government is building a health service that works for families every day.

Since we returned to Government in 2020, Fianna Fáil is ensuring delivery of shorter waiting times, more services closer to home in the community, integrating care so that hospitals are not always the first port of call when you are sick, and we delivered one of the best responses in the world to a global pandemic.

It’s Fianna Fáil in government that has delivered – radically cutting costs for patients through the rollout of free GP are so that now over half the population doesn’t need to pay to see a doctor. Fianna Fáil cut the amount families pay for medicines, we abolished hospital inpatient charges, we launched a revolution in women’s healthcare with free contraception, menopause clinics and fertility hubs, and we rolled out State-funded IVF.

Last week the President signed the Mental Health Act 2026 – a once in a generation modernisation of our Mental Health laws. The last time the legislation was reformed was by our current Taoiseach and Uachtarán Fianna Fáil, Micheal Martin in 2001. Prior to that it was the Government of Seán Lemass that introduced the Mental Treatment Act in 1961, following on from the first legislation on Mental Health in 1945, under the stewardship of Taoiseach Eamon DeValera and Minister Seán T. O'Kelly.

There’s no health without mental health. That’s a phrase I use every day. Mental health is fundamental to family life, to community strength, to our national wellbeing, and I am honoured to have steered our strategy for six years.

Last September I launched new mental health counselling supports for men. 80% of all people who die by suicide are men, whereas women make up two thirds of all of those availing of our national counselling services. The €2 million recurring funding with ensure over 15,000 free counselling sessions are available every year for men, through GPs and yourmentalhealth.ie/men. Today I can report to this Ard Fheis that already over 1,400 men have availed of this free service.

I know there is more to do. Too many families still face long waits for services, too many people still struggle in silence. Behind every number on a CAMHS waiting list is a child, behind every statistic is a person, and behind every person is a family that needs us to deliver.

We are making progress – more community mental health services, more early intervention, improved access especially at a local level. As Minister, I’ll continue to focus on building capacity and ensuring that support is there when and where people need it.

Fianna Fáil has always understood that the State alone can’t do everything. But the State must support the people and organisations who do so much. All of us see it in our communities every day – the community groups, the volunteers, the local leaders – the people who step up because they care. We know the importance of community – providing connection, providing support, providing hope. And in Fianna Fáil we back communities. It’s not just about resources, it’s about recognising the role that communities play, it’s about partnership with the State.

As we reflect on 100 years of Fianna Fáil, we have so much to be proud of. We can be proud of the Republic we’ve built and shaped. We can be proud of our part in the progress that Ireland has made. We can be proud of the generations who came before us. But we can also be proud about the future that’s coming.

Today I think of my grandfather Jack Crotty, one of the founding members of the Portlaw Cumann. I am proud of my heritage. I am proud of my family’s 100 years, and I’m not finished yet.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.