State Pensions

5. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes he proposes to introduce to support women of older generations who are not eligible for a contributory State pension despite having made PRSI contributions through employment during their working lives but who do not have a sufficient contribution record to qualify for a pension at pensionable age; whether he is considering any further measures to recognise periods spent out of the workforce due to caring or family res

Social Welfare Eligibility

46. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the extension of Fuel Allowance eligibility to recipients of the Working Family Payment from 1 January 2026, he will review the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance for persons in receipt of Carer's Allowance; whether he acknowledges that some carers with household incomes comparable to those of Working Family Payment recipients are excluded from Fuel Allowance due to the means test; if he will consider introdu

Rail Network

165. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider extending the proposed DART+ network northwards beyond Drogheda to include Dunleer, County Louth; if his Department has undertaken or plans to undertake any assessment of the feasibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66675/26]

Social Welfare Benefits

38. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider, as part of Budget 2027, extending eligibility for Illness Benefit to self-employed workers who are unable to work due to illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66646/26]

Bus Services

238. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport his plans to expand the rural link bus services nationwide; the measures being taken to improve service frequency, extend operating hours and introduce additional routes in rural communities; if he will provide details of any planned service enhancements for County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66676/26]

Social Welfare Fraud

107. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the process used by his Department to identify and investigate suspected social welfare fraud; the number of cases of social welfare fraud detected and confirmed in each of the past three years; the value of any overpayments identified and recovered during that period; the measures currently in place to prevent fraud and abuse of the social welfare system; any additional measures being considered to strengthen fraud detection an

34th Dáil debate — 2026-10-01

Deputy Paula Butterly Before I begin, I too offer my sympathies to the Doyle family. The loss of a child is always devastating. I welcome the Bill. Safety on our tracks and level crossings is always paramount. I will focus my contribution on two points, which concern the safety on our trains and platforms. The first is about overcrowding. We are fortunate in County Louth as we have seen an increase in services between Dublin and Belfast. We will see the introduction of new carriages that will

34th Dáil debate — 2026-09-30

Deputy Paula Butterly I welcome the opportunity to speak on this topic. Listening to some of the debate, there seems to be a muddying of the waters as to what we are proposing in relation to citizenship and then the discussion in regards to migration. Ireland has always been a welcoming nation. However, over the last couple of years, we have realised that we need to have a firm and fair system to deal with the challenges coming down the line. Through the work of the Government and its Ministers

34th Dáil debate — 2026-09-29

Deputy Paula Butterly I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill as it goes to the very heart of our democracy. It concerns freedom of expression, the right of citizens to speak out on matters of public interest and the ability of journalists, campaigners, whistleblowers and community activists to hold those with deep pockets to account without fear of being dragged into costly and intimidating legal proceedings. We all recognise that every person has the right to their good name and repu