A Sinn Féin Bill to end the mandatory three-day wait before accessing an abortion has passed an early hurdle in the Dáil by 86 votes to 70.

It now goes to committee stage to be scrutinised in greater detail.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, and Ministers Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Jack Chambers and Darragh O’Brien supported the legislation.

Other Ministers including James Lawless, Helen McEntee, Hildegarde Naughton and Patrick O’Donovan were missing for the vote.

28 Fianna Fáil TDs rejected the legislation and 12 supported it. Among Fine Gael TDs, 23 members voted against and 11 backed the proposal.

In response, the Pro Life Campaign said it was “unconscionable” that so many members of the Oireachtas voted to remove a provision when it has been shown that thousands of women who attended an initial abortion appointment did not proceed to abortion after the three-day waiting period.

Spokesperson Eilís Mulroy said their fight against the proposed change is “far from over”.

“Tonight’s vote only takes the bill to committee stage. It will take a mammoth effort to protect it, but we are ready to face that challenge head on,” she added.

How Your TDs Voted on Sinn Fein Bill to Remove Three-Day Wait