Senator Sarah O’Reilly has expressed her disappointment following the Dáil vote to remove the three-day waiting period for abortion services, describing the decision as a betrayal of commitments made to the public during the Repeal referendum.
“I am deeply disappointed that both Simon Harris and Micheál Martin chose to support the removal of the three-day waiting period. A lot of people who voted to repeal the 8th did so because they were promised safeguards like the three-day wait. There has been no compelling reason to remove the wait period and I cannot see any demand from the public for it.”
The Senator said she admired those members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil who voted against their party leadership and chose to retain the safeguard.
“I want to acknowledge those TDs who had the courage to vote according to their conscience. It is never easy to go against party leadership, but they recognised that giving women time and space to consider a life-changing and irreversible decision is not an unreasonable safeguard.”
Senator O’Reilly also criticised what she described as a growing political focus on abortion while other supports for women and families continue to be neglected.
“The Government was willing to support a Sinn Féin to expand access to abortion, yet it has voted against opposition measures to support people with disabilities, against paid leave for women attending cancer screening appointments and they continue to neglect vulnerable children in State care. Young women struggling with housing costs, childcare costs and the cost of living deserve actual support not the message that abortion is the only solution available to them.”
Senator O’Reilly, who became a mother while still in school, said the public debate increasingly fails to recognise the value of motherhood.
“I was pregnant with my first baby when I sat my junior cert, and it was tough at times, but my life was far from over. Being a parent made me more motivated and driven but we rarely hear motherhood being hailed as an amazing form of female empowerment.
“Women’s groups and political parties need to recognise the constant disparaging attitude towards motherhood and pregnancy. Stop telling women that their dreams and goals are over the minute they have a baby, it’s simply not true.”
