Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates. With any medical matter, public trust is a priority. Our first action when we go to hospital for any procedure, large or small, is to sign a consent form. We trust that the medical professionals caring for us will make the right decisions. I was struck by the query about what happens to homeless people and who acts as their voice. Will the delegates elaborate more broadly? We should not remove people's ability to make decisions on what happens to their bodies after they have been incapacitated. Their families should have a role in providing consent when the time comes for their relatives to pass.

All of the presentations at our recent meetings have been interesting. Some of the delegates may have been sitting in the Gallery when I referred to my personal experience of a family member who was an organ donor. It gives the gift of life to others. If those of us who must make this difficult decision keep in mind the fact that someone else is living because our loved ones have passed on, it gives some comfort. The person we lost is forever young in our minds, having only passed away at 20 years of age.