A large protest took place outside Leinster House on Monday afternoon in opposition to proposed changes to the abortion legislation.
Crowds who gathered for the 'March for Life' event were highly critical of the suggestion contained in the report stating that the three-day "reflection" period should be made optional.
The report, conducted by barrister Marie O’Shea, contained a number of legislative and operational recommendations for the abortion system, which she described as being "untenable" in some parts of the country.
READ MORE: Abortion review debate expected to last months as report suggests removal of three-day wait
Organisers suggested that there were "thousands" in attendance as speeches were made on a stage that had been set up outside Leinster House.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín criticised the proposed removal of the three-day reflection period, calling the recommendation "incredible".
He said: "The decision to end the life of a child is a massive decision. It's an irreversible decision and women and mothers shall be given time to consider it.
"Because all of us human beings make mistakes, especially at times of difficulty and crisis. Yet there's no analysis in this report of the 3,950 women who did not return for the second abortion consultation after the three-day reflection time, no details of the thousands of children who are alive today because of that consultation."
The report published last week referenced a 2019 study that stated that of 475 people who attended an initial doctor’s appointment, just 11 (2 per cent) did not return after the three-day period.
Eilish Mulroy of the Pro-Life Campaign stated that the report was "biased and one-sided" as she accused the author of "simply ticking a box rather than giving the issue any serious consideration".
She added: "It's clear from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s remarks in recent days that he understands just how extreme and biased the recommendations of the report are. Nonetheless, there's every reason to be concerned that the government will seek to give effect to the recommendations for no other reason than to placate the very vocal and very small and never satisfied pro-abortion lobby. We have to work extremely hard to ensure this doesn't happen."
In advance of the report being published, Mr Varadkar said that he would be "reluctant" and "uncomfortable" to make "major changes" to abortion legislation so soon after the referendum was passed.
He told the Dáil last week that no decisions had been made on the report and it would be referred to the Oireachtas Health Committee for scrutiny.
In her report, Ms O’Shea recommended making the three-day reflection period optional as it can be "challenging" for some people to schedule multiple appointments and can "impose a physical and psychological burden on women". It can also cause some women to become ineligible due to the fact abortion is only available in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
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