IRELAND – Robust committee exchanges over three-day abortion wait period

Wednesday, 30 Sep 2026
By Juliette Gash

There have been robust exchanges at the Health Committee with disagreements between members and witnesses over the mandatory three-day waiting period under current abortion legislation.

Two pro-life GPs, who do not themselves provide abortion services, were called as witnesses today. Dr Andrew O'Regan told the committee that the three day wait "has given women time to reflect and draw on available supports."

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0930/1593490-robust-exchanges-abortion-wait/

30.09.2026

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3-day waiting requirement

three-day waiting period

Ireland – Bill to remove three-day abortion wait likely to pass despite division in Government

The Bill has drawn an uncomfortable binary line between Government leaders and their respective backbenchers

Ellen Coyne
Thu Sept 17 2026

The basement of Leinster House is haunted by one of Ireland’s most exigent and enduring political issues. It was often in committee room two, under harsh yellow lights, that many politicians spent fractious hours debating what became the end of the Eighth Amendment eight years ago.

In the same room on Wednesday, many TDs who weren’t even in national politics for the 2018 referendum became the latest generation of Irish politicians to find themselves debating the issue of abortion.

Continued: https://archive.is/kbaby