Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 5 December 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Protecting Vulnerable People: Discussion

Professor Desmond O'Neill:

There is some worry. It is not so much that it might erode some of the impetus. Indeed, we have seen papers from health economists in Canada mentioning how much could be saved if there was a more widespread implementation of MAID. We all must be striving and be cautiously optimistic that we are going to do better. We are not not giving euthanasia solely because of this. I think we need to be aware of the wider implications. There is a sense that this can be seen as a cost-saving measure for the wider system.