Government Chief Whip and Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Mary Butler, has voiced strong criticism of a High Court case that could affect her role at Cabinet level.
The case, brought by Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, challenges the number of ministers permitted to sit at Cabinet.
Under the Constitution, only fifteen ministers are allowed to attend Cabinet, and if the challenge is successful, Ministers of State could be excluded.
Speaking on Deise Today ahead of the hearing, Minister Butler said she is angry about the case and its potential consequences.
She highlighted that she is the first woman from Waterford to sit at Cabinet and stressed the significance of mental health having a standalone voice at the highest level of government.
Minister Butler said this level of representation for mental health does not exist anywhere else in Europe.
She warned that the court action could result in mental health being removed from Cabinet entirely.
She also questioned why opposition TDs would seek to remove such an important portfolio from Cabinet, describing the case as a political stroke rather than a move driven by concern for governance.
The High Court is expected to deliver its decision on the case later today, with the outcome due at 2pm.
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