Tomorrow evening, the Dáil will vote on the Social Democrats' Bill to remove the three-day waiting period for abortion in Ireland. Over the past week, I have received many emails from constituents who are very concerned about the proposed legislation. This attempt to remove the three-day wait is not about supporting women; it is about pushing abortion as the only option. Why? The HSE's own figures show that between 2019 and 2024, 10,426 women did not attend their second appointment, yet no one has followed up with these women. No one has asked why they changed their minds, what support they needed, or whether the three-day wait period gave them that time and space to reflect during an incredibly difficult moment in their lives. Do those voices not matter in this discussion and if not, why not? It seems only right that women should be made aware of all the support available to them and have time to reflect before making what is an irreversible decision. Ireland is not alone in recognising that principle. Countries such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands all retain waiting periods within their laws.

I ask people to listen to the story of Ruth O'Sullivan, who felt pressured to have an abortion after finding out her baby girl had Patau syndrome. Her family was not supported. They were pointed towards abortion as the only choice and left to manage their grief alone. In an interview, Ruth said: "I thought I was doing what was best for her ... but no one actually gave us another option." No one said she might "regret this ... down the road" or that there is another option.

It is irresponsible to push for extreme abortion legislation without hearing from the women who regret it. It is wrong to remove the three-day wait without asking even one of those 10,000 women why they did not go back and go through with an abortion. This is not what people have voted for.

I support the calls made regarding the National Ambulance Service and the need for urgent further engagement. We had the Minister for Health in Clare yesterday. She was out in the very west of Clare, in Kilkee, and she saw for herself the distances involved. People who suffer most when there is a strike are the vulnerable people and those who are the furthest distance away from the emergency departments. I call on all parties to reflect because it is critical at this stage.

I call for a national audit on vacant properties in the ownership of the State. Between local authorities, the HSE, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, the Department of education and the myriad other State and semi-State organisations and so on, the amount of derelict property is significant. We are in a housing crisis and, in that context, we need to look at derelict properties.

I have highlighted on a number of occasions properties in County Clare that have been idle for years, some owned by the OPW. There is a significant estate of property owned by the OPW that is lying vacant. I suggest that in every county in this country there are houses in the ownership of the OPW that are boarded up for one reason or another. They exist in many of our towns and villages. It is not just the OPW; it is a myriad of agencies across the State spectrum.

I would like to see an audit led by the Department of the Taoiseach to establish exactly where we are and how these properties can be brought into use, starting with the ones that have been vacant for many years and moving along to the ones vacant for a small number of years. It would be an exercise worth doing because, at the end of the day, the State is the biggest property owner in the country.

I also acknowledge today as international nurses and midwives day. I agree with the comments made by Senators Clifford-Lee and Cosgrove about the work nurses and midwives do across this country. I saw when my two sons were born the calmness and professionalism midwives show in doing their work. I spoke last week in the Chamber about the work nurses do, particularly in Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, and the service they provided when I was in hospital with sepsis. It was a nurse who spotted it and, luckily, I survived it.

It is important to say many of our nurses are not Irish-born. The services they provide are critical to people in this country. It was mentioned that 22% are from India and 8% from the Philippines. When we talk about a new Ireland and immigration, we always have to remember these people give so much to this country and support this country very significantly. We need to make sure that they are protected in work and outside of work and that they feel appreciated. For all nurses and midwives across Ireland, it is important we as a House recognise the huge contribution they make.

Also in relation to health, there is a protest today by the National Ambulance Service. It is a normal protest, which is welcome. It should be recognised that the service needs support. It needs more financial support. People who go into that work give an awful lot and work hours totally outside of the normal 9-to-5. It is not just pay and conditions. I spoke to a paramedic a number of weeks ago. A lot of it has to do with updating decisions made about how people are treated and where ambulances go. That system has only been updated twice since the 1940s and really needs an update soon.