Overview
- TDs approved Sinn Féin’s targeted bill to scrap the statutory three‑day wait by 86 votes to 70 on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
- The measure, introduced by Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane, will be examined by the Oireachtas health committee and the Health Minister is expected to seek advice from the Attorney General.
- The vote exposed splits inside government parties after a free vote, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris backing the change while a majority of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs, including several senior ministers, voted against it.
- Campaigners and the 2023 Marie O’Shea review say removing the wait will help rural, low‑income, disabled and coercion‑affected women who struggle to attend two GP appointments.
- Next steps to watch include committee amendments, any technical changes advised by the Attorney General, and final Dáil votes that officials say could bring the law into force before the end of the year.