Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Listening to Dr. Colleran, it strikes me there is a health economics aspect to this subject that we as a committee have not discussed enough to date and that we may have to consider looking at. I refer to the idea that if we change the law, we might unleash dynamics around the funding of healthcare that would, in fact, undermine people's autonomy rather than add to it. That is perhaps for another time.

Is the view of the witnesses that palliative care is inevitably affected? Even if on paper there is to be money for it and people are to be given the choice, could it be the case that once euthanasia or assisted suicide is in place, everybody will have to think about it one way or the other and this in itself could be undermining of palliative care?