Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion

Photo of Mary Seery KearneyMary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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A narrative is emerging from this meeting and last week's meeting that seems to suggest that mental health is a determinant and that safeguards need to be imposed. This concerns me in some ways. While I welcome it and understand it, it also concerns me that people who are already vulnerable because of diagnosis or their particular level of health may be put through having to prove their mental capacity, which is contrary to a presumption of capacity. If there are undiagnosed or under-diagnosed mental health issues, how do we start thinking about that when it comes to safeguards? Indeed, is it appropriate that it becomes a determinant?