Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 27 June 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Consent and Capacity: Discussion

Photo of Gino KennyGino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Good morning to our witnesses. This probably gets to the heart of the issue of assisted dying. I am always taken by the three Cs of assisted dying, namely capacity, consent and a conversant mind that may choose to avail of assisted dying. They are at the heart of the issue.

Putting adequate safeguards in place is equally important. My first question relates to coercion. Some people have concerns that somebody could be coerced into making a decision that is not of his or her making. That is fundamental to putting safeguards in place. Is there any evidence that this happened? Has it happened, for example, in Oregon where assisted dying has been legislated for over the last 25 years? Is there any evidence that those three Cs have been breached on a wide scale?