Abortion Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Ruth Coppinger (PBP), Dublin West

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.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22