I do not know whether there is any other law that imposes a three-day wait on any medical treatment. I do not know whether it applies when getting Viagra or rhinoplasty surgery. Forcing women to wait for a health treatment that is extremely time sensitive and very geographically difficult to access, where that wait is medically unnecessary, damaging and patronising and puts extra pressure on our health services, has to stop. Does the Minister agree with that?

Sentiment score: -0.15

To be frank, we should not really need consensus for an individual to get healthcare. It should not be up to men, predominantly, in the Dáil, or the State in general, to prevent women or pregnant people from accessing something for which the whole country voted. The Minister is right that we had telemedicine during the pandemic, and the sky did not fall in. In fact, telemedicine for abortion care has been shown to be exactly the same as visiting a doctor, and that was shown before the referendum as well. The Irish Family Planning Association, WHO, the independent O'Shea report in 2023 and the UN are among the endless list of bodies that have said this wait is not necessary. It is also very unfair. Rural Deputies and others who think it must be kept are actually just penalising women and pregnant people in their areas. It is more difficult to find a doctor providing this service in rural areas, with some counties having one and others none. This is forcing women abroad again. It is taking them past the 12-week limit, with many ending up having to travel abroad.

Sentiment score: -0.03

Consensus seems only to be necessary when it comes to the health, lives and choices of women. The Bill the Minister referenced was actually put forward in the previous Dáil by former Deputy, Bríd Smith.

Sentiment score: 0.00

That is no problem; I am just clarifying it. It was very undemocratic of TDs who had not debated that Bill - I had not debated it because I was not in the previous Dáil - just to block it. It should have been allowed to go forward for debate. My understanding is that all the provisions in the Bill were measures the citizens' assembly had proposed but that the politicians on the relevant committee, of which I was a member, were not willing to put forward. They were perfectly normal measures that the broad population agreed with but politicians were not willing to implement. The three-day wait requirement was put in the legislation to appease Simon Coveney and people like him. That is the reality. I was here and I remember it. It was not indicated at the committee or anywhere else. The key point is that we now have very right-wing TDs in the Government who are anti-choice. The Minister should not be appeasing that bloc. The priority should be the health needs of women and pregnant people in this country.

Sentiment score: -0.02

It was a movement that achieved that, not this Dáil.

Sentiment score: 0.00