Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. It is important to say this committee may well choose not to recommend legislation if it believes this proposal would do more harm than good. I certainly believe that and I have been saying that for a long time. Some people think we will do more harm than good full stop. I do not want put words in the witnesses' mouths but what I am hearing from them is that in the absence of the entitlements and the rights, which are so lacking in their provision at the moment, it is very clear there is a particular vulnerability there to being negatively affected by any possible legislation in the absence of such rights being provided for, whatever about the principle. The witnesses have been scrupulous about not saying whether they favour it in principle or not.

The evidence of the opinion poll shows that this debate on whether to introduce assisted suicide or euthanasia is causing negative thinking. The poll proves it. We are constantly having this poll quoted to us to the effect that a majority of people are in favour of it, including in the context of life-limiting conditions. This debate is causing negative ableist thinking. Everybody in this room is aware of our ableist society and how people can be stigmatised, whether it is because of age, mental illness or other kinds of impairment or disability. It is beyond me how we could be considering an assisted death regime that will impact unequally on those coping with any kind of impairment, and how people who claim to be on the left could support such inequality.

I know she probably does not agree with me on what the committee should eventually propose but yet again I am in admiration of Senator Ruane's honesty. She puts it very clearly that we cannot talk about legislating in a limited way for some categories of people when, in fact-----