Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying
Assisted Dying and the Ethics of Autonomy: Discussion
Mr. Lloyd Riley:
The European courts have been quite clear that it is up to jurisdictions to legislate for this in whatever way they want, including the option of not legislating. I do not accept that then they would suddenly turn to a position where they would change legislation to bring it into line with a certain logic. Not legislating does not do away with the issue. I return to the point I expressed in my opening statement that doing nothing is not a sustainable position. That does not lead to avoiding any difficult circumstances. It leads to more legal cases; more dying people suffering against their wishes; events such as traumatic, violent deaths or travelling to Switzerland; and tearing families apart. It does not solve this issue and that is the question before the committee. That is what it needs to act on in a constructive way.
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