Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Up to today, I thought that one of the arguments or concerns was that if we legislated for assisted dying in whatever form on limited grounds, then the argument might be made on equality grounds as to why it cannot be accessed for disability reasons or, indeed, for mental health-related reasons. That is a strong problem to be considered. What I am taking away from today, and I ask the witnesses to correct me if I am wrong, is that if even if we do not legislate on those grounds, it is possible, as Dr. Kelleher said, that some people with underlying, treatable mental health illness would fall through the cracks. In other words, we would have a situation where assisted dying is available on mental health grounds, provided there is also a coexisting terminal illness, depending on the limitation that is put on it. My colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, has effectively spoken of the undesirability of attempting to screen people for mental illness conditions. The witnesses have also spoken about the difficulty of doing it anyway, even if it was socially conscionable to engage in such screening. To me, that points to a lot of difficulties that we, as a committee, have not really had a chance to consider to date to any significant degree.

As doctors, I would like to ask the witnesses the following question. If the committee went ahead and recommended a change in the law and the opening, however slight, of a possibility of State-supported assisted suicide or indeed euthanasia, should doctors be involved in that event? Also, what do the witnesses say to the argument that is out there that doctors are just being paternalistic doctors in telling people how to live their lives when they are clear in their own minds about they want? What are the witnesses' views on that?

I have a question for Dr. Vanbellingen, but perhaps the witnesses might respond to those questions first.