Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a well-founded hope that this is the last session we will have where a guest is denigrated on grounds of style by one of the members and a fellow witness. We should allow people to have whatever style they have as long as they are backing up their statements with facts. I do not mind how trenchant they are as long as they are speaking in a bona fide manner. The last place we should have cancel culture or excessive sensitivity about people’s styles is in a national parliament. We need to allow people to tell the truth as they see it with the facts as they have them.

I wish to speak to the reality as I see it. We have had a tenfold increase in the number of assisted suicides in Oregon, no psychiatrist is required for an assessment despite the implications around suicidality and preventing suicide, and there is no requirement to discuss palliative care alternatives. We have broadly similar populations. If we were to have a situation like Oregon’s, there would be 350 deaths per year in Ireland.

I will start with Dr. Komrad. The number of people who qualify on grounds of terminal illness has risen dramatically to 46%. Does this not show that, even if we limit the grounds technically on which assisted suicide is made available, we will not necessarily limit the risks to the people involved?