The Government will not change the forthcoming abortion legislation to shorten or abolish the proposed three-day waiting period before an abortion could be executed, the Minister for Health has said. Pro-choice advocates such as Dr Peter Boylan have been saying the waiting period should be eliminated.

Dr Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and a leading campaigner against the pro-life amendment, had argued before the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday that the waiting period was “demeaning” to women and “makes presumptions about women’s ability to make decisions about their own healthcare”.

The waiting period is part of the draft legislation published by the Government before the referendum. The Government’s view is that people voted in the referendum having considered the draft legislation, and that it should not be changed at this stage, Mr Harris’s office said.

Mr Harris will also refuse amendments which pro-life TDs have proposed, providing for a conscientious objection for doctors who do not wish to execute an abortion themselves or refer patients to another doctor to execute the procedure.