Senator Sarah O’Reilly: “Latest push to remove three-day wait is an ongoing crusade to ensure there are even more abortions in Ireland.”
Aontú’s senator Sarah O’Reilly says there is no public support to remove the 72-hour reflection time before abortion, and repeated political efforts to erase it have reduced it to an ideology contest among parties.
The Cavan senator said: “There is no campaign for this, no-one on the streets about it, no constituency for it. Women themselves say they want the three-day wait in place.
“Yet for the third time in a year we have seen political parties who think they know better, pushing to remove the option that gives women some time to think.
“What good can removing it possibly do? It’s only three days, which gives a woman time to pause and consider, before making possibly the biggest decision of her life, and an irreversible one at that.
“Those who push for this want women to access an abortion immediately, removing the second consultation before proceeding. They don’t want them to have a chance to come to a different decision. This push to remove that reflection time can only lead to more abortions.
“We know that over a five year period from 2019 to 2024, 10,426 women did not attend their second appointment for an abortion. That is 10,426 women who chose not to attend that second appointment. In fact, one in six did not come back.
“The reality is that some women are unsure, some feel overwhelmed, and some feel they have no real alternative. That short pause can be the only moment they have to breathe, and reconsider. Other countries have it as well, as standard.
“It will lead to rushed decisions and regret. Marie O’Shea recommended removing the 3 day wait without ever meeting or seeking to meet any of the women who didn’t attend that second appointment.
“This is anti-women. It’s fake concern by those looking to win what has become an ideology contest among certain led parties, while leading women directly into the path of a rushed and regretted major life decision – and telling them it’s for their own rights.”
She added that those who voted for Repeal did so on the understanding that this safeguard would be in place. Its removal would only increase the number of abortions in Ireland, which rose to a record high of 10,852 last year.
