Removal of the mandatory three-day wait period for abortion in early pregnancy is a hugely step forward for women the length and breadth of this country. As it stands, it affects women's access to healthcare right across Ireland; women from all different backgrounds who have made their choices for many different reasons. We have to put the health of women to the forefront and this is key to the Sinn Féin legislation. This Bill supports and trusts women. It allows women access to healthcare in a respectful and understanding way and it respects their choice. Ireland has come a long way in my lifetime. We are a far more understanding and caring society than the one I grew up in but we still have more to do. I have seen the negative spin around this on social media. It does not reflect the needs of the women in Ireland or the views of the wider public. I have seen some people attempt to muddy the waters, play politics with women's health, and make baseless claims about this Bill. This Bill is focused on the three-day wait and nothing else. I acknowledge all those women and men who campaigned against the original eighth amendment and then successfully campaigned to remove that amendment from the Constitution. The three-day wait should never have been introduced and has had serious consequences. It is time for the law to change and this will be a significant move towards removing barriers to women accessing healthcare. Since the repeal of the eighth amendment and the passing of abortion legislation, there have been concerns expressed at the mandatory three-day wait and the negative implications it has had for women. A review of the legislation recommended that it had to go. Any woman making this decision will not have done so lightly. Removing the mandatory wait does not mean a woman cannot take more time if she wishes, this option will still, of course, be available but forcing a woman into a three-day mandatory wait is not on. It has had a very negative effect and it is cruel. It has meant that some women time out and have to travel abroad simply because they cannot get access to care. Perhaps they have difficulty getting a GP appointment in their area. It has had serious consequences for women in very difficult circumstances where they are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and are being forced into additional trauma and distress. I am working with a woman in my constituency who was abused for years by a close family member. When she discovered she was pregnant she was devastated and decided on a termination. She had her mind made up and there was no question but she found the three-day delay very difficult to deal with. Not only had she to deal with abuse, which she is now addressing, thankfully, she has also suffered through an additional needless wait. Sinn Féin published the legislation and moved First Stage on 7 June, a number of weeks after our party's Ard-Fheis endorsed the position. I am happy the Government is supporting the Bill but to those TDs who may have doubts about it, I ask them to please stop and think about the women they know. I ask them to put themselves in their shoes, support them, trust in them and please do the right thing by supporting the Bill.

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