LAST UPDATE | 18 Jun

THE DÁIL LAST night voted to approve legislation that would remove the mandatory three-day waiting period for those seeking an abortion.

The Sinn Féin bill needs to pass further stages in committee, Dáil and Seanad before it can become law, but last night’s vote was significant nonetheless.

It demonstrated a Dáil majority of 86 to 70 in favour of making changes to the regulations around the termination of pregnancy.

Crucially, TDs from the government parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were given a free vote on the bill, meaning they could vote according to their own views and not because of a party whip.

So how did TDs vote overall? 

Well, all members from Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit voted in favour of the legislation. 

Three independents voted in favour, as well as the sole Green Party TD. 

It was more of a mixed bag among the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs but majorities in both parties were opposed to the legislation. 

In Fianna Fáil, 30 members voted against the legislation and 12 voted for it, a clear majority of 71% who voted against. Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was among the minority of his party members who voted in favour of the legislation. 

In Fine Gael, 23 members voted against the legislation and 11 were in favour, translating to 68% being opposed. Matching the scenario in Fianna Fáil, Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was among the minority in his party who voted in favour of the legislation. 

The gender breakdown of the vote is also notable, with female TDs being far more likely than male TDs to vote in favour of the legislation. 

The Dáil is overwhelmingly male, with 121 men and 35 women voting last night, but just six women voted against the legislation compared to the 64 men who voted against it. 

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Bill to end three-day abortion wait moves forward as decisive Dáil vote splits government parties

Why are the Taoiseach and Tánaiste supporting a Sinn Féin bill on abortion and will it pass?

Women are much better represented on the opposition benches, but nonetheless 83% of female TDs voted Tá while only 47% of male TDs did.

Here’s a list of the TDs in the house who voted and how they voted. There were no abstentions in the vote but 17 TDs were not present.

Health (Abolition of Three Day Wait Rule) (Amendment) Bill 2026

Tá (Yes)

• Ciarán Ahern (Labour Party)
• Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fáil)
• Ivana Bacik (Labour Party)
• Cathy Bennett (Sinn Féin)
• Grace Boland (Fine Gael)
• Richard Boyd Barrett (People Before Profit–Solidarity)
• Colm Brophy (Fine Gael)
• Pat Buckley (Sinn Féin)
• Paula Butterly (Fine Gael)
• Joanna Byrne (Sinn Féin)
• Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fáil)
• Holly Cairns (Social Democrats)
• Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Fine Gael)
• Matt Carthy (Sinn Féin)
• Jack Chambers (Fianna Fáil)
• Ruth Coppinger (People Before Profit-Solidarity)
• Réada Cronin (Sinn Féin)
• Seán Crowe (Sinn Féin)
• David Cullinane (Sinn Féin)
• Jen Cummins (Social Democrats)
• Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
• Pa Daly (Sinn Féin)
• Aisling Dempsey (Fianna Fáil)
• Máire Devine (Sinn Féin)
• Pearse Doherty (Sinn Féin)
• Paul Donnelly (Sinn Féin)
• Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fáil)
• Dessie Ellis (Sinn Féin)
• Daniel Ennis (Social Democrats)
• Aidan Farrelly (Social Democrats)
• Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin)
• Gary Gannon (Social Democrats)
• James Geoghegan (Fine Gael)
• Sinéad Gibney (Social Democrats)
• Thomas Gould (Sinn Féin)
• Ann Graves (Sinn Féin)
• Johnny Guirke (Sinn Féin)
• Simon Harris (Fine Gael)
• Eoin Hayes (Social Democrats)
• Seamus Healy (Independent)
• Rory Hearne (Social Democrats)
• Barry Heneghan (Independent)
• Emer Higgins (Fine Gael)
• Eoghan Kenny (Labour)
• Martin Kenny (Sinn Féin)
• Keira Keogh (Fine Gael)
• Claire Kerrane (Sinn Féin)
• George Lawlor (Labour Party)
• Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Féin)
• Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil)
• Paul McAuliffe (Fianna Fáil)
• Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin)
• Donna McGettigan (Sinn Féin)
• Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fáil)
• Conor D. McGuinness (Sinn Féin)
• Paul Murphy (People Before Profit–Solidarity)
• Johnny Mythen (Sinn Féin)
• Ged Nash (Labour Party)
• Natasha Newsome Drennan (Sinn Féin)
• Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Sinn Féin)
• Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fáil)
• Cian O’Callaghan (Social Democrats)
• Maeve O’Connell (Fine Gael)
• Robert O’Donoghue (Independent)
• Roderic O’Gorman (Green Party)
• Louis O’Hara (Sinn Féin)
• Louise O’Reilly (Sinn Féin)
• Darren O’Rourke (Sinn Féin)
• Christopher O’Sullivan (Fianna Fáil)
• Eoin Ó Broin (Sinn Féin)
• Naoise Ó Cearúil (Fianna Fáil)
• Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin)
• Ruairí Ó Murchú (Sinn Féin)
• Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Féin)
• Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Sinn Féin)
• Liam Quaide (Social Democrats)
• Maurice Quinlivan (Sinn Féin)
• Pádraig Rice (Social Democrats)
• Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fáil)
• Conor Sheehan (Labour Party)
• Marie Sherlock (Labour Party)
• Duncan Smith (Labour Party)
• Mark Wall (Labour Party)
• Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
• Mark Ward (Sinn Féin)
• Jennifer Whitmore (Social Democrats)

Níl (No)

• William Aird (Fine Gael)
• Tom Brabazon (Fianna Fáil)
• Brian Brennan (Fine Gael)
• Shay Brennan (Fianna Fáil)
• James Browne (Fianna Fáil)
• Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
• Peter Burke (Fine Gael)
• Mary Butler (Fianna Fáil)
• Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
• Michael Cahill (Fianna Fáil)
• Catherine Callaghan (Fine Gael)
• Dara Calleary (Fianna Fáil)
• Seán Canney (Independent)
• Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
• John Clendennen (Fine Gael)
• Michael Collins (Independent Ireland)
• Niall Collins (Fianna Fáil)
• John Connolly (Fianna Fáil)
• Joe Cooney (Fine Gael)
• Cathal Crowe (Fianna Fáil)
• John Cummins (Fine Gael)
• Martin Daly (Fianna Fáil)
• Cormac Devlin (Fianna Fáil)
• Alan Dillon (Fine Gael)
• Albert Dolan (Fianna Fáil)
• Frankie Feighan (Fine Gael)
• Michael Fitzmaurice (Independent Ireland)
• Seán Fleming (Fianna Fáil)
• Norma Foley (Fianna Fáil)
• Pat the Cope Gallagher (Fianna Fáil)
• Paul Gogarty (Independent)
• Noel Grealish (Independent)
• Marian Harkin (Independent)
• Danny Healy-Rae (Independent)
• Michael Healy-Rae (Independent)
• Martin Heydon (Fine Gael)
• Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
• John Lahart (Fianna Fáil)
• Paul Lawless (Aontú)
• Michael Lowry (Independent)
• David Maxwell (Fine Gael)
• Noel McCarthy (Fine Gael)
• Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fáil)
• Tony McCormack (Fianna Fáil)
• Mattie McGrath (Independent)
• Séamus McGrath (Fianna Fáil)
• John McGuinness (Fianna Fáil)
• Kevin “Boxer” Moran (Independent)
• Aindrias Moynihan (Fianna Fáil)
• Michael Moynihan (Fianna Fáil)
• Shane Moynihan (Fianna Fáil)
• Michael Murphy (Fine Gael)
• Joe Neville (Fine Gael)
• Carol Nolan (Independent)
• Jim O’Callaghan (Fianna Fáil)
• Willie O’Dea (Fianna Fáil)
• Kieran O’Donnell (Fine Gael)
• Ken O’Flynn (Independent Ireland)
• Ryan O’Meara (Fianna Fáil)
• John Paul O’Shea (Fine Gael)
• Pádraig O’Sullivan (Fianna Fáil)
• Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Fianna Fáil)
• Naoise Ó Muirí (Fine Gael)
• Peter Roche (Fine Gael)
• Brendan Smith (Fianna Fáil)
• Brian Stanley (Independent)
• Edward Timmins (Fine Gael)
• Gillian Toole (Independent)
• Peadar Tóibín (Aontú)
• Robert Troy (Fianna Fáil)