Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

My questions are mostly to Mr. Seymour and Dr. Donnelly. I will ask all of my questions at once. In his contribution, Mr. Seymour mentioned that people can choose assisted dying either by self-administration or administration by a medical practitioner. We have been having this discussion here as to whether it would be assisted dying or practitioner-led. This brings in the rights of somebody who may not have the capacity to be able to administer it themselves.

How did those conversations on giving both options go? Some countries, including Ireland, may go for a safer option where it has to be self-administered. Obviously this would create discrimination as to who can and cannot administer.

Regarding the 202 people who died during the process, how long is the process? What is the average length of time it would take for someone to be assessed in regard to meeting the criteria?

On the practitioner's experiences so far, I note that it states there is a medical practitioner registered as either the attending first or the independent second. What is the difference between those two operationally?

Dr. Donnelly referred to palliative care satisfactorily addressing people's physical and existential needs. I am sure that is true in the majority of cases. However, if someone's existential need is the inverse of living, then the existential dread comes from the fact that they do not actually want to live anymore. Remaining alive extends that existential conflict within them that they do not have access to the end of life.

On the idea of dying prematurely, the mind and the body can go at different paces. Sometimes the body can hang on for a long time after somebody feels ready to die. They are not afraid to die. They do not have any fears about it. They have probably lived a good life. They have met all the conditions and all the criteria. How does Dr. Donnelly define dying prematurely? Does it just mean the physical body giving up?

What is the psychological aspect of someone being ready and being denied the right for a long period? I wonder about the differentiation - I am not sure whether I am capturing it properly - between an almost psychological death, when grieving begins before death, and the death of the body. The body hangs on for a long time after the mind says it is ready. Is it only premature in the sense that the body gives up?