Mr. Silvan Luley:

I thank the committee for the invitation to this meeting. I must apologise first of all that I have not mastered the Irish language, Gaelic, as I think it is called, and also that my English is somewhat limited. It is not my mother tongue but I will try my best with my Swiss English, or Swinglish as some call it.

In 2020, 465 Irish individuals died by suicide, that is, intentional self-harm, according to the Central Statistics Office. There are more recent data but the 2020 data are final. Some may have done so with know-how about do-it-yourself methods which are considered somewhat reliable.

Others may have done it by using violent, rough methods, maybe by jumping off the Cliffs of Moher, shooting themselves, going in front of a train and so on. For every death by suicide, the World Health Organization points out there are many more people who attempt suicide. Our research shows there are ten to 20 times more attempts than deaths by suicide. In Switzerland, our research found that among young adults, young people and teenagers, the rate of attempts versus deaths by suicide is even up to 60 times higher.

In the same year, 2020, one Irish resident travelled to our non-profit membership association “DIGNITAS – To live with dignity – To die with dignity”, which is the correct name of our organisation, to choose legal, professionally conducted physician-supported accompanied suicide. I use the term "voluntary-assisted dying" while some say "medical aid in dying". There are different expressions sometimes for the same or collective terms but what is legal here in Switzerland is "physician-supported accompanied suicide". The first Irish person did so back in the year 2003.

These two realities - people choosing violent methods or Irish people travelling to Dignitas - are definitely undesirable. They happen shadowed by taboo and fear of conflict with current Irish law, as well as with negative consequences for everyone touched somehow, especially the loved ones, family and friends of the person. This should be changed. Voluntary assisted dying should be legalised as a choice for the Irish alongside other options to soothe suffering and improve quality of life, may that be palliative care, hospice work, suicide attempt prevention, good care in old age and much more.

In Switzerland, assistance in suicide has been legal since 1942 under certain circumstances. For 40 years now, Swiss non-profit membership associations such as Dignitas, in co-working with medical doctors, take care of individuals who wish to determine the time and manner of when their suffering and life ends. During these years, several countries in Europe and worldwide have legalised voluntary assisted dying, either in the form of assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia. Some have done so following court judgments, for example, Germany, Austria and Canada.

Speaking of court judgments, the European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment of 20 January 2011 in a case initiated and led by Dignitas, held that it is an individual’s right to decide by what means and at what point his or her life will end, provided he or she is capable of freely reaching a decision on this question and acting in consequence.

I refer to the Irish members of Dignitas. At the end of the year 2020, 57 were signed up and two years later, at the end of 2022, the count was 80. Currently, we have close to 100 Irish members. In addition, more other Irish people wish that Ireland followed the example of Switzerland and the other growing number of countries that have legalised voluntary assisted dying.

It is not about making use of this option right away, rather it is about having an emergency exit door that provides emotional relief and can prevent people from using rough, violent do-it-yourself suicide methods. The people in Ireland should have what everyone deserves: a legal way to exercise the human right of freedom of choice on all options of professional care to soothe suffering and end life at their home, as confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights in 2011.