Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I just make an observation more than anything else. As I said in my previous contribution, Ireland is changing in how it views religion overall. We have a more pluralist society which is a good thing. Over 65% of the population still identify as Catholic - I am not sure whether all those people go to church. Regardless of our religion, we will all definitely experience loved ones dying. That is just part of life.

I think we can all agree we do not want our loved ones to have to suffer. However, there are people who suffer when they die. Modern medicine is incredible. It keeps us alive, but it does not ameliorate all the suffering that one can suffer with a very complicated ending to life. This committee is trying to establish whether someone facing a very difficult ending can, with the help of a doctor and with the help of legislators, have a choice as to how that life ends. In those circumstances, I believe a person should have a choice and say in how they actually die. It is a very democratic and fundamental thing. Regardless of their religion if somebody does not want to go through weeks of pain, who is to say that person has to go through that because of medical or religious reasons? Nobody should have to go through that scenario.

In that scenario someone should have a say or a choice and in order to do that we need to change the legislation. It is as simple as that. I believe the majority of people in Ireland would support legislative change on assisted dying because they want to prevent suffering and want to give people a say in how they actually die. Why would anybody be against that? I do not understand why anybody would be against that.