John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Dr. Casey is saying that the concerns of the Supreme Court and it's evident scepticism - that is his interpretation - that abuses could ever be curbed entirely are very relevant to assessing whether potential legislative reforms could ever be consistent with the State's solemn duty to protect life. That is one matter.

I come back to a theme I have mentioned in the context of Dr. Mulligan's four questions, which are going to stay with us for a while. If we do agree with the principle of giving people a right to assistance in ending their lives, who are those people and what are the key characteristics involved? The Samaritans sent us a paper about the importance of language. At this and the committee's previous meeting, I have already heard circumstances being referred to where there is an assumption that it is people with particular conditions who are most likely to seek assistance. Do the witnesses share my view? I will not be remotely put out if they do not. It is a concern of mine that if we get into conditions, we are falling into exactly the category of what the Supreme Court said, that there would be implications for third parties or society at large. I am not even going to name any of the conditions. Our guests know the ones that are stereotypically connected with the matter. On abuses of legislation, what ought we, as legislators, look out for?