The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) welcomes the political will to abolish the paternalistic mandatory waiting period.
Commenting on the Dáil vote to advance the bill (17.06.2026), IFPA Chief Executive Niall Behan said: “This move to abolish the mandatory waiting period is a necessary step toward achieving person-centred, evidence-based abortion care.
“The Bill reflects World Health Organization (WHO) standards, which recommend against enforced delay provisions on the basis that they provide no health-related benefits. Its removal brings Ireland’s abortion legislation more closely into line with the recommendations of leading medical experts and human rights bodies, which have consistently criticised mandatory waiting periods as an unjustifiable, demeaning and patronising restriction on access to abortion.
“We know from our service that the mandatory waiting period has material consequences: it causes stress, distress, and delay, and can push women over the 12-week gestation limit for care—a consequence that causes disproportionate harm to people already facing systemic barriers and inequalities.”
Mr Behan said: “It is deeply concerning to see unfounded and misinformed assertions by some politicians about the mandatory waiting period being highlighted in the media this week. We know from our annual analysis of anonymised IFPA abortion service data (2021-24) that the statistics makes the case for reform. It unambiguously confirms the reality that the vast majority (98 per cent) of clients who attend for a first consultation go on to have an abortion. Nothing in our data indicates that the three-day wait influences women’s decisions about pregnancy.
“As the Bill now moves through committee stage, we urge all policymakers to engage constructively with healthcare providers and those who have experienced first-hand the harms of the state-mandated delay. It is essential that the legislative process remains informed by evidence, clinical expertise, and international best practice, as well as the lived realities of those affected. This approach is key to delivering legislation that protects clients’ wellbeing, respects autonomy, and reflects the realities of healthcare provision, resulting in meaningful, compassionate, and effective reform.”
While the IFPA welcomes the removal of the mandatory waiting period, it is not the only flaw in the existing legislation. The Independent Review of the Operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, carried out in 2023 by Barrister Marie O’Shea, identified a number of harms, delays and barriers that impede access to abortion care. We call for continued cross-party collaboration to address all legislative and operational reforms required to bring Ireland’s abortion law in line with international best practice and the needs and dignity of those accessing care.
ENDS
Media contact: Erin Murphy, Communications Officer (press@ifpa.ie).
NOTES TO EDITOR
About the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA)
The IFPA is a leading provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare in Ireland. The organisation offers a comprehensive range of services including abortion care, contraception and specialist sexual and reproductive health counselling, which support reproductive choice on a not-for-profit basis. The IFPA runs Ireland’s only dedicated treatment service for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM). The organisation promotes the right of all people to comprehensive, specialist and affordable sexual and reproductive health information and services.