Repeal was a movement built by women for women. It was a movement built to trust women, to listen to women and, ultimately, to care for women. It was a proud moment for the women of Ireland who fought tirelessly to ensure equal access and healthcare for all. I remember that we did great work in north Kildare and in the Kildare Coalition for Repeal. I think we knew after the first canvass that this referendum was going to be won. It inspired hope in so many of us and truly turned the page for progressive politics here in Ireland. This is only the beginning, though. We are still fighting and legislating for healthcare services for women. The three-day wait rule should never have been introduced following the repeal referendum. I would go so far as to say that women's healthcare should never have even been in the Constitution at all. The removal of this rule is critical if we are to honour the repeal of the eighth amendment. Sinn Féin has always been against the three-day rule. The citizens' assembly and the Oireachtas committee did not look for it. This rule neither trusts nor listens to women. In fact, the three-day rule treats women with suspicion, suggesting we cannot come to conclusions on our own. All it does is make access to healthcare harder for all of us, and this is not what women need, especially not those who have extremely difficult circumstances, including women who have suffered from domestic violence, coercive control by a partner or rape. A three-day wait is the very last thing a woman in those circumstances needs. This is a time when they need to be listened to and shown compassion. Let us be honest about the three-day rule itself. Some claim it leads to fewer abortions, but as the Minister of State said herself, that is simply not the case. There are examples of some women actually suffering a miscarriage during the three-day wait. This is a time when they need care and not to be hanging on. The truth is that a woman can take as many days as she needs herself to make that decision. She does not need to mark off a date with a medical professional and then come back three days later. However many days she takes to decide within the law, that is up to her. I implore TDs to vote in favour of our motion and show that Ireland trusts and listens to women. Bíodh muinín againn as mná na hÉireann.

Sentiment score: 0.13