Dáil Votes 86-70 to Remove Three-Day Abortion Waiting Period

The Dáil voted 86-70 in favor of a Sinn Féin bill to remove the three-day mandatory waiting period for early pregnancy abortion services. The bill will now proceed to an Oireachtas committee for scrutiny. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will discuss the bill with Attorney General Rossa Fanning, with potential for it to become law by year-end.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs were granted a free vote. Five Fianna Fáil Cabinet members—Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, Minister for Housing James Browne, Minister for Children Norma Foley, and Government Chief Whip Mary Butler—voted against the bill. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien voted for it. In total, 30 Fianna Fáil TDs voted against, 12 for, and six were absent.

A majority of Fine Gael TDs also opposed the bill, with Tanaiste Simon Harris and Minister Carroll MacNeill being the only Cabinet ministers to support it. Twenty-three Fine Gael TDs, including Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, voted against. Eleven voted for, and four, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee, Minister for Communications Patrick O'Donovan, and Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton, were absent.

Minister Foley stated she would not vote to remove the wait, believing it was part of the 2018 referendum proposal. Fine Gael TDs Brian Brennan, Peter Roche, and Michael Murphy also opposed it, with Roche citing women changing their minds during the waiting period. Conversely, Fine Gael TD Barry Ward supported the bill, emphasizing trust in women to make their own decisions.