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

Deputy Lahart posed a profound question about what we have been deliberating over for the past nine months. A cohort of people could and should be able to avail of assisted dying because there are complicated circumstances where somebody has a terminal diagnosis or is in a very difficult situation coming to the end of life. It can be very difficult, as I know first-hand. I am sure others have also seen such circumstances.

I want to bring us back to the person. This is the most important aspect of a profound question about one's mortality.

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When we speak of our own lives, we also speak of others who have gone public to talk about their own personal lives. Ms Marie Fleming, Ms Bernadette Forde, Mr. Brendan Clarke and Ms Gaynor French wanted to say publicly, in the most fundamental set of circumstances, that the legislation should change around assisted dying. To me, that is probably the most important aspect of this question we are asking ourselves. Can we overcome the obstacles around the legislation? Yes, we can. Can we overcome issues around safeguards? Yes, we can, through very robust legislation. Can we overcome giving people a choice with regard to assisted dying in certain circumstances? I believe we can. When we can, I do not think the health service is going to fall apart or that society is going to fall apart. In fact, I think people will just get on with their lives. I would like, however, as a person and a citizen of this country, to have a choice if a set of circumstances happened. I would like other citizens of this country to be able to avail of a choice in limited circumstances. Most people will probably never avail of it even if there is a choice, but it should be a choice with regard to how they die. Most people who die will obviously die peacefully, but there is a cohort of people who do not die peacefully and they should have a choice regarding end-of-life care. That means changing the law, which we hopefully will do. Those sets of circumstances have to be teased out regarding how this committee will deliberate over the next three or four weeks.