Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion

Dr. Anne Doherty:

I hear what Deputy Kenny is saying. I suppose I have met quite a number of people, for example, who would be in that category described by Deputy Kenny who have been told that they have a very short length of time to live, and in that context they may have suicidal thoughts. I have seen some who have acted on them as well. When we treat any depression people have, they can then change how they feel about it and have some enjoyment in the remainder of the life that they have. It is really about making sure that we do not negate the benefit that that group of people can have.