The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has been criticised for failing to consult its membership about the organisation’s support for ending the three-day waiting period for abortion.
During the ICGP’s appearance before the Oireachtas Health Committee on September 16, the Aontú leader Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked ICGP witnesses what consultation had taken place with Irish GPs.
“The ICGP is here as a representative organisation. We do not know if its views represent those of its members,” the Meath West TD stated.
Drawing attention to figures showing that more than 10,000 women did not attend a second appointment for an abortion between 2019-2024, Tóibín also queried whether the ICGP witnesses had spoken to any of these women in relation to Sinn Féin’s proposed legislation.
After repeated questions, the ICGP Medical Director Dr Diarmuid Quinlan conceded that the ICGP “did not consult with them about our statement today.”
“Not one woman or child has been spoken to by the ICGP regarding the preparation of this,” Tóibín told the Committee. “In fairness, anybody who is an elected representative trying to make a decision on this will find that shocking and will find a gap in that the evidence is not even being gathered by the ICGP.”
According to the Annual Report for 2025, the ICGP represents 4,600 GPs nationwide – at a time when around 90% of GPs do not perform abortions.
As noted by the Iona Institute, the ICGP’s Dr Ciara McCarthy – who represented the group before the Health Committee – has a long history of advocacy in support of abortion rights, including being an Early Medical Abortion Trainer.
