Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late. I really wanted to be here for the witnesses' presentations but there was an accident on the roads which delayed everything. I thank all the witnesses for being here today. This is a very emotive issue and there is huge feeling around the question of dignity for those with illnesses they know they will not survive. It is vitally important that these people have dignity in dying and I consider this to be a human rights issue.

I have some concerns, however, particularly with regard to safeguarding. I apologise for having not yet read the legislation on this, although I intend to go back and read and investigate everything and to look at the different models offered in places like Oregon and Canada. There is a fear surrounding just how far Holland has gone with its very liberal approach to this; there is always that fear. We need to investigate this and I would definitely look at the Oregon model to see what kind of safeguarding is in place there.

One thing jumped out at me as I listened to the witnesses this morning. I was very glad that Mr. Nugent talked about his wife and about how he put a system in place for her. I understand the fear of pain, and knowing that she had something in place must have released her from that fear in some way. It was brilliant that Mr. Nugent was able to explain that to the committee because it is important. Mr. Curran spoke about the Oregon model and about its psychological aspect, something that falls under the area in which I do some work. I have no problem in saying that I have suffered from severe depression in my own lifetime and there have been times when I might have questioned what was the point of it all. I am bringing this back to my personal story and I do not know how I would have acted had assisted dying been available. I do not know now if I was thinking rationally then, even though I generally consider myself a very rational person. I now work with the family members who suffer from severe anxiety and depression. People cannot think rationally because they are living with relatives with addiction problems and so forth. They cannot think straight. The impact that their family situation has on them is soul-destroying and they sometimes feel like giving up. This is the area from which I am coming to this issue. I came through this and I know many people who did the same. Getting through something like this is empowering: one is left stronger and more resilient. All I am doing here is throwing out my own experience and that of the field in which I work. As a result, I have huge reservations about the psychological model in the whole area of assisted dying. No matter how rational one might be, depression is a kind of self-destruction. This aspect of the issue worries me.

I was glad to hear Mr. Curran say that we do not necessarily have to do the same as in Oregon. This was good to hear but I still have concerns about assisted dying and about how it might be abused. As my colleagues mentioned, we have to acknowledge the realities of the system we are in. It is a human right to have a home but those who are homeless do not have this right. It is a human right to get access to mental health care or indeed general health care, but many do not even get that. This is the basis of my concern. Could there be abuse in all this? I apologise again for not having yet read the legislation but I will do so. Could any of the witnesses give us some examples of what safeguarding measures could be put in place around this issue? How can we stop assisted dying being in any way abused? How can we ensure that vulnerable adults with psychological issues or disabilities do not fall victim to this in order to in some way get rid of the problem?