Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody. It has been a very good discussion so far. Dr. Doherty's statement is a good one, but there are obviously certain parts of it I disagree with in relation to treating people she sees who have been diagnosed with serious illnesses.

I understand that there is a huge amount of fear in relation to one's morality and one's own life. It is a very fundamental question that each of us will probably have to ask ourselves in regard to our own lives. There is an acceptance sometimes that our life may be cut short following a diagnosis. That is very difficult to quantify or understand for everybody – the person, the family, and so forth. There is a compelling argument in regard to those who are coming to the end of their life that they should have a choice. This gets to the fundamental point of why we are discussing this and a person's choice or say in how he or she wants to die. When a person is in that situation, he or she is tested to the limit in terms of his or her capacity and his or her own life. Surely, in a situation when somebody is coming to the end of their life, they should have a say in how their life ends. I am convinced that assisted dying should be legislated for in that situation. It is limited to a certain degree. As legislators, if we recommend assisted dying, regardless of the criteria, then it is up to us to decide if it stays as it is or whether to review any legislation. That can be applied to many legislative measures. I am sure Dr. Doherty has dealt with many scenarios where a person probably will not die in the immediate future but he or she wants to die because of the fear of what lies ahead. I understand that. It is a perfectly legitimate human emotion. But surely in situations where a person has come to the end of their life, they should have the choice of availing of assisted dying.