Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Access to Palliative Care and Social Supports: Discussion

Dr. Hannah Linane:

The issue with the term "assisted dying" is that it is open to interpretation. There is a misconception of what palliative care does. We do not hasten people's deaths. It has to be very clear that this is differentiated. There is a big fear when we use medications in palliative care that we are somehow hastening things. Actually, that can be a barrier to people getting medications that could control their symptoms.