Kildare TDs back abortion bill
Kildare South Sinn Féin TD, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
TWO Kildare Sinn Féin TDs voiced strong support for legislation aimed at abolishing the mandatory three-day waiting period for abortion services in Ireland.
The Sinn Féin bill was subsequently passed by 86 votes to 70 and will now go before an Oireachtas committee for further scrutiny.
Speaking during the Second Stage debate on the Health (Abolition of Three Day Wait Rule) (Amendment) Bill 2026, Kildare North TD Réada Cronin and Kildare South TD Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh argued that the waiting period represents an unnecessary barrier to healthcare and undermines the spirit of the 2018 repeal of the Eighth Amendment.
Addressing the Dáil, Deputy Cronin reflected on the Repeal campaign, describing it as "a movement built by women for women" that sought to trust, listen to and care for women.
She recalled the work carried out by campaigners in North Kildare and the Kildare Coalition for Repeal, saying the referendum inspired hope and marked a turning point for progressive politics in Ireland.
However, she argued that the introduction of the three-day waiting period after repeal was not consistent with the mandate delivered by voters.
"The removal of this rule is critical if we are to honour the repeal of the Eighth Amendment," Deputy Cronin said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Ní Raghallaigh described the waiting period as "backward", arguing that it causes harm to women and can force some to travel abroad to access care.
Welcoming Sinn Féin's approach to the legislation, she said the Bill represents a modest but important step in implementing recommendations contained in the O'Shea review of abortion services.
"When the Irish people voted for repeal, they voted to trust women," Deputy Ní Raghallaigh said.
She argued that requiring women to wait after making a decision about an abortion is “paternalistic and patriarchal” and takes control away from women regarding decisions about their own bodies.
The Kildare South TD highlighted the impact of the rule on women facing difficult circumstances, including victims of sexual violence and coercive control, those with limited access to GP services and women who discover pregnancies later than expected.
She said the Bill would help advance a more compassionate healthcare system centred on patient wellbeing, while also calling for further reforms to reproductive healthcare legislation, including the removal of abortion care from criminal law provisions.
Both TDs urged members of the Dáil to support the Bill during the debate, arguing that removing the three-day waiting period would demonstrate trust in women and improve access to abortion services in line with the principles endorsed by voters during the Repeal referendum.
Following its passage in the Dáil, the legislation will now proceed to an Oireachtas committee for detailed examination.
