Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A concern of our next witness, who is from Disability Action Northern Ireland, is that the stringent controls that would need to be put in place for the legalisation of assisted suicide would ultimately force the individual to forego his or her choice. By importing a very specific focus on that particular aspect of the ethical framework, we could deny vulnerable people the right to exercise their own autonomy due to a duty or imposition from society in general. There may be a societal flip which actually impacts on the vulnerable individuals we seek to protect. Does the witness recognise that is a reasonable argument for people in that scenario? Disability Action Northern Ireland has said that the debate will continue, but until society values disabled people as fully contributing members of our society it is unlikely that it could change its position because the risks are too high.