Most Reverend Dr. Michael Jackson:

I wish to make a brief response and try to draw a few things together. With regard to the 1861 Act, the continuing reality of automatic sanctions is tremendously daunting.

The committee heard that earlier about people on the front line of delivery - medics and nursing staff.

On the sufficiency or otherwise of the Irish Medical Council guidelines, our point is that in the absence of legislation, they remain guidelines; the legislation will underpin that and give confidence to those people for whom the guidelines are not enacted. That is another side of the argument that must be considered.

There was also a question on the range of opinion within the Church of Ireland. The first point I articulated was the question of real and substantial risk and that would be the central position. To be fair, however, there would be fluidity on a lesser or greater sympathy regarding suicide and aspects of health. We speak as individuals from within the church. The Church of Ireland must make decisions synodically and within the timeframe we had that was not possible. We are not blaming anyone for this but we are saying that we are trying in some way to represent aspects of thought within the Church of Ireland and I thank the committee for giving us a hearing.