Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank the witnesses for giving their testimony today. I want to speak about the impact of not legislating. We have seen the consequences of that. Garret's wife had to go to Belgium. Had Vicky Phelan been able to avail of assisted dying in Ireland, obviously it would have been easier or, let us say, less traumatic. There are other people in circumstances where this has not been legislated for, where they have taken their own life or they have been in situations where they have had a very complicated death and end of their life. I ask anybody who would say that a person has to go through the trauma of that pain or would deny somebody who does not want to go through months, weeks or days, to reflect on the situation. Why should someone not have a choice regarding his or her own life? I hope it will be legislated for in Ireland and, if it is, I do not think the sky is going to fall in by any means. It can be complementary to our very good hospice and palliative care services.

In the time I have I would like the witnesses to comment on some of the issues that arise in terms of the impact of not legislating.