Professor Mary Donnelly:

To answer both the Senator's questions, I agree that, along the lines of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, there should be a duty of referral where a conscientious objection is recognised. I see that as an essential element. If, as my colleague Professor Madden said, the State recognises that, having done its due deliberations, individuals have a right to assisted dying, then the mechanisms to ensure that is delivered should be ensured.

I am a little more nervous about the notion of a specialist cohort. That is something one would have to discuss in much more detail with the medical profession. It is a really important operationalisation question. I certainly do not have the expertise to give a fair answer on that. I would be a little bit nervous about the notion of a specialist register in that context. I see it as something that would probably work better where individuals were treating their own patients, the people with whom they have had a relationship. That for me would be an ideal. Again, it is an operationalisation question rather than a "Do we legislate?" question. It is definitely something to talk about further but I could not give a fair and balanced answer on that.