Professor Desmond O'Neill:

I would revert the Deputy to Dr. Regina McQuillan's contribution last week and to Harvey Chochinov's study in The Lancet. There is the Macbeth quote, "Present fears are worse than horrible imaginings". It is about reassurance. That is why it is important the dialogue is informed. A worrying paper was recently published showing that most discussion around ageing is led by uninformed pundits. We need to reassure people. I will circulate Harvey Chochinov's study to the committee. It is the great leap. Henry James talked about his impending death as the distinguished thing. We have to create a discourse through the Oireachtas that we will create a framework that will support a person in such circumstances to the greatest extent possible.

I am not a legal policy expert. However, I fear undue leniency would be seen as condoning assisted suicide. I am one of the most widely published people on elder abuse. One of the challenges is around the various forms of elder abuse. Dr. Regina McQuillan touched upon this last week at the committee. To deny a person access, knowingly or unknowingly, to the appropriate type of care, like Clint Eastwood in "Million Dollar Baby" or the husband in "Amour", is potentially abusive. There is a natural sympathy around people who have been involved with assisted suicide in which some form of well-intentioned impulse steers away from the unfortunate things that may lie beneath. To me leniency would send out the wrong signals.