An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-18
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Sharon Keogan (IND), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I add my voice to the comments made today by Senators Mullen, Gallagher, O’Reilly and McCarthy on the new Bill introduced by Sinn Féin to eliminate the three-day waiting period before receiving an abortion, and to express my sadness at its being passed on Second Stage last night. With the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste standing back on this issue, it is very worrying.
It is very worrying because there is no real evidence that there is broad public demand for this reform. In fact, most Irish people, even those who are in favour of abortion, believe there is a need to reduce it. Many who voted yes in the referendum only did so with the assurance that they would allow it in moderate and reasonable circumstances. Instead, the leadership of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are caving in to a loud but small group of people who are privileged to be disproportionately represented and present in higher echelons of society and politics and do not reflect the popular democratic feelings. I am deeply worried about this because it is exactly what many of us who supported the eighth amendment feared and warned about, that is, once the issue of abortion was taken out of the Constitution and put into statute, we would see a slow, continual coup, an erosion of any safeguards or measures to reduce abortion and would find ourselves on a slippery slope towards total, unlimited abortion access.
There is something quite cynical in Sinn Féin bringing this forward so soon after such a similar Bill by the Social Democrats fell through. Of course it is entitled to do so but just because it is permitted does not mean it is right. Like the Government parties, Sinn Féin also appears to be listening to the loud but minority left-wing ideologues within its ranks and not to its broader Catholic, nationalist and pro-family membership and voter base. In this Bill, both the Government and the left Opposition appear more content in copying their English counterparts in Keir Starmer's Labour Party than in doing the right thing by the Irish people and they will not forgive them come the next election.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-18