UCDSU says removal of three-day wait is overdue; commits to continued work on strengthening reproductive rights

UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) has said that while welcome, the Dáil vote to remove the mandatory three-day waiting period for abortion services is a long overdue reform, and has committed to continuing its work to support and advance reproductive rights in Ireland.

UCDSU President Enzo Crothers said the change reflects the slow pace at which reproductive healthcare reform has progressed since repeal.

“That we are in 2026 removing a medically unjustified waiting period tells you everything about the pace of progress on this issue,” said Crothers. “It should not have taken eight years. The fact that it did is an indictment of how seriously this country’s political establishment has treated women’s healthcare.”

He added that legislative change must be understood as part of an ongoing process rather than an endpoint.

“The removal of this restriction is welcome, but it sits within a wider system of abortion provision that continues to require attention, scrutiny and improvement,” said Crothers. “These issues do not resolve themselves once legislation is passed. They have to be actively followed through in practice.”

UCDSU's Welfare Officer Éabha Hughes added: 

“The introduction of legal abortion in Ireland was a major step forward, but it did not close the question. There remains a responsibility to ensure that access is not only available in law, but consistently delivered in practice. In some parts of the country, particularly outside major urban centres, access to services is still not consistent. True reproductive rights mean care should not depend on where someone lives, or the circumstances they find themselves in. The removal of the three-day waiting period is an important step, but it is part of a much longer process of ensuring abortion care is fully accessible in practice as well as in principle. UCDSU is unapologetically committed to that outcome.”   

UCDSU is calling on students to contact their local TDs to support continued reform, including improving access for migrants and addressing remaining inequalities in healthcare provision.

The Union will continue to work with national organisations and elected representatives to ensure that reproductive healthcare rights are not only established in law, but fully realised and strengthened in practice.

ENDS