Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and our witnesses. I am conscious that I cannot fully comprehend the challenges faced by people with a disability in their day-to-day living. Thankfully, I got into a car today and drove off to Dublin and never thought twice about it. Disabled people who take public transport have to forewarn or ring in advance to tell the public transport authorities that they are taking this transport.

My questions come from my limited comprehension of the challenges people face. I thank the witnesses for speaking so freely and honestly with us today. Mr. Kearns referred to a poll in one of his answers to a colleague. He said that life-limiting illness was part of the criteria when people were asked if they felt assisted dying should be introduced or legislated for. One of the criteria was life-limiting illness, not just terminal illness. In that context, it is very important we have engagement with groups who are representing people with a disability or a life-limiting illness.

In Mr. Dolan's contribution he referred to the Disability Federation of Ireland as having more than 120 member organisations that are working with people with disabilities. What level of engagement did the witnesses have prior to their contribution today in terms of seeking the views of all those organisations on whether we should introduce or legislate for assisted dying and, if we should, on what parameters should be included?

Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I have heard today, Mr. Dolan and Mr. Kearns have said that while they are not averse to legislation coming in, they do not feel it is an area of priority for people with disabilities. The priority is to address the serious challenges people face currently to live a full and meaningful life. My understanding of what they are saying is that they have a very real and legitimate concern, which should not be labelled as scaremongering, that if we were to introduce assisted dying, albeit with limitations, it would lead to a normalisation of assisted dying. They have a concern about how that normalisation might play out to members of their community and I think we should listen to that very carefully.