Mary Lou McDonald: End the Three-Day Abortion Wait
Mary Lou McDonald addresses the Dáil on a bill to remove the mandatory three-day waiting period for abortion, urging TDs to vote to change the law and uphold the promise of repeal. She argues the enforced delay causes harm, forces some women to travel abroad, and denies women the right to make healthcare decisions in their own time.
Mary Lou McDonald outlines the bill that would eliminate the mandatory three-day wait for women seeking abortion care. She says tomorrow night every TD has an opportunity to vote to remove this barrier and take a step towards delivering on the 2018 repeal promise.
McDonald recalls the original review recommendation that the three-day wait be removed and stresses that the measure was ill-advised from the start. She argues the enforced delay does not improve safety and instead acts as an unnecessary obstacle to healthcare.
The speech details the consequences for women: being pushed past the 12-week threshold, forced travel abroad, and acute distress for survivors of sexual assault, victims of domestic violence, and those in coercive relationships. McDonald highlights long journeys and repeated appointments that compound emotional anguish.
Mary Lou McDonald calls for cross-party support and for the Oireachtas to establish an expert panel to advise on related matters including fatal foetal anomaly. She welcomes indications of government support and urges TDs to act with trust, compassion and delivery for women across Ireland.
Legislation before the Dáil
Mary Lou McDonald outlines the bill that would eliminate the mandatory three-day wait for women seeking abortion care. She says tomorrow night every TD has an opportunity to vote to remove this barrier and take a step towards delivering on the 2018 repeal promise.
Why the wait must go
McDonald recalls the original review recommendation that the three-day wait be removed and stresses that the measure was ill-advised from the start. She argues the enforced delay does not improve safety and instead acts as an unnecessary obstacle to healthcare.
Real-world harm
The speech details the consequences for women: being pushed past the 12-week threshold, forced travel abroad, and acute distress for survivors of sexual assault, victims of domestic violence, and those in coercive relationships. McDonald highlights long journeys and repeated appointments that compound emotional anguish.
Urgent appeal and next steps
Mary Lou McDonald calls for cross-party support and for the Oireachtas to establish an expert panel to advise on related matters including fatal foetal anomaly. She welcomes indications of government support and urges TDs to act with trust, compassion and delivery for women across Ireland.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Victor Boyhan
Victor Boyhan: Independents Back Jennie's Law
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan: Collect Housing Data - Stop Centralising Power
Rónán Mullen
Rónán Mullen Backs Humane Bill, Warns on Online Harm
Simon Harris
Simon Harris: Derelict Sites Tax & Major Housing Push
Seán Kelly
Seán Kelly: Europe must be an AI player, not a customer
Tom Clonan
Tom Clonan: Will HSE Block Funding for Small Carers?
Transcript
This is a very important piece of legislation before the Dáil. It's a bill to remove the mandatory three-day wait for women who need an abortion and of course it goes without saying that every woman must have the space, the understanding and the support she needs to come to her decision in her time. Any woman making this decision will have given it very deep thought and we should never underestimate, dismiss or discount that reality. But to force a woman to wait for three days is just wrong and tomorrow night every TD has an opportunity to right that wrong, to vote to change the law, to remove this barrier to healthcare for women and to uphold the promise of repeal and take a significant step towards compassion. After all, that was the guiding principle when the people voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment eight years ago. We said then that we would trust women and that's what we must do, not just with words, not just with promises but with delivery. In truth, the three-day wait period should never have been introduced and in fact the original review of the legislation states very clearly that the three-day wait has to go. This is a considered recommendation based on real experience and the real impact of the enforced wait on the lives of women. This wait has caused huge harm and trauma. The three-day mandatory wait has seen women pushed beyond the 12-week period, meaning that they can't access services here in Ireland. So eight years after repeal, some women are still forced to travel abroad. Women who have been sexually assaulted, women who are the victims of domestic violence or who are in abusive, coercive relationships are left in the most awful of circumstances. And the wait is also a very, very serious problem for women who have difficulty accessing a GP and services in their own county. Many are forced to travel for hours for the initial appointment, only to be sent away and told to return again after three days. I cannot tell you the level of distress, of suffering, of emotional anguish for women across the country that this has caused. And none of this is care. None of this is fair. None of this is compassionate. The three-day wait simply denies women the right to come to their decisions about their health care in their own terms and in their own time. And it is wrong that women are forced into this arbitrary delay when they've already made a decision and presented themselves to their doctor. The three-day wait isn't health care. It doesn't make services safer or better. It only serves as a barrier to women accessing the service they need. I believe there's widespread support minister across our society to end this three-day wait, for us to live up to the declaration that women are trusted, that we are respected, to make decisions in our own time with compassion, space, understanding and care. So today, we can change the law. Irish women have been failed in so many ways for such a long time. We now have an opportunity to put one of those wrongs to right. I'm conscious that the review of the legislation asks that the Dáil and the Oireachtas consider other matters including fatal foetal anomaly. And I want to urge the government to establish the expert panel necessary to give us the advice as an Oireachtas in respect of those matters. I want to acknowledge that the government have indicated support for this legislation. I very much welcome that and the support from members right across the benches in this house. I think it's so important that we work together to make this really essential change and that we all do the right thing by women. Because when the people voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment in 2018, it was a watershed moment. And the message was loud and it was clear. The days of women being denied the right to make decisions about our own health care was over. Trust, compassion, care. Those were the values the Irish people chose to back. And by voting to remove the three-day wait, we can take a significant step to honouring that promise. Because for too long, women have been let down. And this is our opportunity now to ensure that compassion and trust prevail.