Dr. Laura Chapman:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak to members. This has been a very complicated, clinical and societal issue for New Zealand and Australia, so I am grateful to be able to share our experience to contribute to the committee's decision-making. As regards the key things I want to highlight, it is really important to consider the spectrum of conscientious objection to protect people who provide assisted dying, to protect people who choose not to do so and to recognise that there is quite a stressful spectrum in between. The three of us are not actually particular advocates for assisted dying. We have come to talk to the committee to try to inform its decision, but there are strong advocates and people who disagree strongly, and it can be quite a tense position to be somewhere in the middle with those people.

From a healthcare provider point of view, it is really important to look after junior staff and enable them to disagree with more senior staff.

Does assisted dying impose a burden on doctors? Providing clinical care for seriously unwell and dying people can create a burden on all doctors; we know that. My experience and the experience of the assisted dying providers in New Zealand is that assisted dying is not different from our normal clinical duties. We are a small country with a population of 5 million. We provide a national service.

I am very happy to come back, as I know Dr. McLaren and Dr. Allcroft would be, to discuss anything else that would be helpful or to make written responses to the committee. Our goal is to help members make an informed decision on what is right for Ireland, not tell another country what to do for itself.