Irish parliament votes to remove three-day abortion waiting period
9 reported
Ireland’s parliament has voted to remove a mandatory three-day waiting period for abortion during early pregnancy, according to a report from The Guardian. The Dáil passed the bill on Wednesday night, clearing a path for the legislation to go to a parliamentary committee and become law later this year or next. Supporters said it was one of the most significant changes to women’s healthcare since voters ended a constitutional ban on abortion in a 2018 referendum. Opponents said it overturned a safeguard endorsed in that referendum. The bill passed with 86 deputies in favour and 70 against. The ruling centrist coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael gave its Dáil deputies a free vote as a matter of conscience.
What’s reported
Ireland’s parliament voted to remove a mandatory three-day wait for abortion during early pregnancy.
The Dáil passed the bill on Wednesday night.
The bill will go to a parliamentary committee and could become law later this year or next.
The current rule requires a compulsory three-day waiting period between when a woman can seek an abortion up to 12 weeks and obtain medication.
The bill passed with 86 deputies in favour and 70 against.
The ruling centrist coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael gave its Dáil deputies a free vote as a matter of conscience.
Most deputies from both parties voted against, but a handful of cabinet ministers, including the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and the tánaiste, Simon Harris, backed the Sinn Féin proposal.
A 2022 review by barrister Marie O’Shea recommended removing the three-day rule and relaxing other restrictions.
Supporters of the three-day rule cited official figures that between 2019 and 2024 approximately 10,400 women did not return to a GP for a second abortion consultation after the waiting period.
Key figures
Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin, which sponsored the bill
Micheál Martin, taoiseach
Simon Harris, tánaiste
Barry Ward, Fine Gael deputy who backed the bill
Marie O’Shea, barrister who conducted a 2022 review
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil junior minister
Peadar Tóibín, leader of the Aontú party
Sources: The Guardian
