Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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My first question relates to lessons we can learn from Canada. As legislators, as I said earlier, we are trying to address this issue as a committee. On many occasions, popular support has been expressed in Ireland for changing the law on assisted dying. There is popular support in Ireland, Britain and most other European countries. As legislators, we have to listen to popular support, although it does not, obviously, dictate everything we do. We have to listen to people because, as we have seen in the case of many social issues in Ireland, popular support and public opinion are way ahead of politicians on a lot of issues, and in this case public opinion in Ireland wants to see legislative change.

What lessons do Professor Downie and Professor Lemmens have for us as legislators in respect of how we can tackle this issue and go forward in a compassionate scenario where people might find themselves? To me, that is the most important message of this committee. If we are to change the legislation, the most important person in this whole debate is the person who may find themselves in that situation of wanting to avail of assisted dying. That is the most important aspect of this debate.