Mattie McGrath: Challenges Social Democrats on Three-Day Wait
Mattie McGrath opposes a Bill to abolish the three-day wait and widen grounds for late-term abortions, and challenges Deputy Cairns to say whether he met women who regret abortions or those who kept their babies after reflection. He cites parliamentary replies showing thousands used the three-day wait to continue pregnancies and warns that coercive abortion is rising, noting recent prison sentences.
Main challenge to Deputy Cairns
Mattie McGrath directly asks Deputy Cairns and the Social Democrats whether they met women who deeply regret abortions or women who benefited from the three-day reflection period. He frames these as reasonable questions that have not been answered publicly.
Evidence cited on the three-day wait
McGrath points to parliamentary replies showing thousands of women availed of the three-day wait and subsequently chose to continue their pregnancies. He argues that removing the provision would eliminate a safeguard that has helped save lives.
Statistics and broader concern
He highlights the scale of abortions in Ireland, stating 11,000 abortions occur each year, and describes that as an 'unbelievably sad reality.' McGrath warns that abolishing the three-day wait would remove even a small chance for women to change their decision.
Coercion and criminal cases
McGrath raises the rise of coercive abortion, referencing that in the first half of 2026 two men received lengthy prison sentences for involvement in coercive forced abortions. He urges the Social Democrats to work with other parties to tackle coercion rather than scrapping the three-day wait.
Political consequence and demand for answers
He calls on Deputy Cairns and his party to respond to questions from pro-life groups and others, arguing that the evidence of lives saved by reflection demands scrutiny before any repeal of the provision.
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Go raibh maith agat, I too am opposing this Bill. I listened to the Leader of the Social Democrats on Radio Rees-Neath on RT Radio speaking about the importance of listening to women's abortion experiences. So I want to ask Deputy Cairns directly today, before bringing forward this Bill to abolish the three-day wait and widen the grounds for late-term abortions, did you, Deputy Cairns, accept or did you ignore the request to meet women who deeply regret their abortions? And did you take the time to speak to women who benefit from the three-day reflection period and ultimately chose to keep their babies? These are not unreasonable questions and pro-life groups and others have asked those questions in recent days and nowhere have I seen you, Deputy Cairns, or any of your party, answer these questions. So it is well documented from replies from the parliamentary questions that thousands of women have availed of the three-day wait and gone to keep their babies. With that evidence before us, I cannot fathom how any party would seek to abolish such a life-saving provision. There are 11,000 abortions taking place in Ireland each year. This is an unbelievably sad reality. Yet today a political party in this House is seeking to remove one of the last provisions that offers even a small bit of hope, a glimmer of hope, that life might be saved. We are still in the first half of 2026 and already two men have received lengthy prison services for their involvement in coercive forced abortions. These cases and other evidence show that coercive abortion is rising at an alarming rate. So at the Social Democrats, will you Russians who scrapped the three-day wait, instead of working with others in this House to try and deal with that issue of coercive abortion? We are sawing abortion numbers. We have coercive abortion rising, as I said, and we need to deal with that issue also.
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