Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying
Developing a Legal Framework for Assisted Dying: Discussion
Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I could show the doctor another piece of evidence that shows that is not true. I think it falls flat on its face if Professor Jones is saying that in countries where a framework for assisted dying has been put in place, suicide rates go up. I think that is very flimsy evidence, to say the least. I just do not buy it.
Those who are opposed to assisted dying always say that being a burden is one of the reasons why people have availed of assisted dying. Feeling burdened is a human emotion and it can be when people are coming towards the end of their lives. "Burden" could mean many things to different people. I think it is quite distasteful that those who oppose assisted dying try to use this to raise fears in people who are in the situation where they may feel that they are a burden to others. This is a perfectly legitimate human emotion at that time in a person's life. I think it is twisted in relation to this issue. I think it is unhelpful to the broader debate around assisted dying