Professor Deirdre Madden:

First, on the obligation on the State to preserve life, I should not be taken as implying that there should not be any concerns about protection of vulnerable people. That is a given and that is why there should be safeguards in place. All necessary psychological supports, family supports, palliative care options, everything should be given to the person to try to enable him or her to live a life that for him or her is worth giving. But the point may come for a small minority of people, as I said a short while ago, when there is only so much that such people want to bear, there is only so much in terms of the dignity they are prepared to suffer in relation to the illness or condition they have. That is where the law should provide a framework to enable such people to make a choice about the manner and time at which they wish to pass. I do not think that is an inconsistency.

I do not think it is about people feeling they are a burden. It is more about feeling the loss of control, autonomy and dignity. That is where the law could focus its efforts. I do not think there is any inconsistency on that.