David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will come to Dr. McLaren. His opening statement was interesting and I thank him for the evidence he has presented. He talked positively about the delivery of voluntary assisted dying, VAD, services in his country. That is his experience and I accept that.

It is important for us to hear that. He did say, however, that it is not without its challenges. He went on to talk about "the overbearing nature of some of the legislation in our states", and I get the points he is making. For us, as legislators, that is at the core of the dilemma when we make decisions. We ask how to get the balance right, how to legislate and at the same time deal with the unintended consequences and so on. Dr. McLaren also talked about the evolution of policy and so on in this area. What advice would he give to this committee or State if we were to legislate, looking back at what has happened in his country? What advice would he give us to ensure that on the one hand, we have safeguards, and on the other hand, that the legislation is not so onerous that it makes it difficult for patients to access?