Dr. Frank Conaty:

The guidance was welcome but it must be recognised that it was brought in during a crisis. There has been no real ability to consult people who may be impacted upon in this regard. We are calling for the voices of people who could be directly affected by the decisions made under these guidelines to be heard and for them to be consulted. It is welcome that the guidelines indicate that decisions should not be made on grounds that discriminate against certain categories but that refers to individual decisions. What about decisions in general? Many aspects of the guidance are welcome but there is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty with regard to some of it and how it might inform the environment in which decisions will be made. It is such a profound issue that it requires further consultation and development. We have the opportunity to consult and develop further before those guidelines are required. We hope they will not be required but they may be.