Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will make effectively the same points. We also support amendment No. 31. It was tabled at Committee Stage but was not successful. The World Health Organization, WHO, has said that waiting periods like this demean women as decision makers, and we ought to keep that in mind. Waiting periods will only lead to delays in accessing treatment. The UN committee on the elimination of discrimination against women also recommended the elimination of medically unnecessary waiting periods for abortion as they pose a barrier to access. The legislation is supposed to facilitate access to abortion services and we should remove any barriers. There is no medical basis for the waiting period, which will particularly hit poorer people, those living in rural, isolated areas and people who may be in abusive relationships.

Amendment No. 34 seeks to waive the three-day waiting period if the woman in question would otherwise be denied a pre-12 week abortion. While we advocate a complete removal of the three-day period, if we cannot achieve that, then surely amendment No. 34 is a reasonable alternative. If a woman decides that she wants to have an abortion and cannot access one here because of an arbitrary barrier to access with no basis in medicine, then she will still have to travel to the UK.

Amendment No. 33 has a similar intention to that of amendment No. 32 tabled by Deputy Kelly. Its intention is to reduce to some extent the negative and harmful effects of the three-day waiting period by ensuring that the clock starts from the time of the appointment, irrespective of how long one must wait for the appointment.

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