Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is regrettable that the professor is using that kind of language. A palliative care specialist from Australia was before the committee last week. He said that those who avail of assisted dying in his state in Australia find it extremely offensive when the issues of assisted dying and suicide are conflated. They find it extremely offensive. I will leave that issue there.

Dr. Hartney's opening statement was very good on the overall basis of assisted dying legislation. It is up to this committee to recommend access to assisted dying or not. I hope it does recommend the option. The majority of the population of Ireland support legislative change in that regard, as has been borne out by numerous polls. Any assisted dying system will only be as good as the legislation. It must be extremely robust. The committee has heard from specialists from New Zealand and Australia. Their legislation on assisted dying is very young and limited, but it is extremely robust for those who can avail of assisted dying. For example, in New Zealand, one cannot avail of assisted dying on the grounds of disability or advanced age. One cannot avail of it on mental health grounds. I generally agree with those parameters. Other jurisdictions have a more liberal approach. We must look at the Irish context for assisted dying. We are the legislators, at the end of the day. If assisted dying is legislated for, it must be extremely robust. Those who can avail of assisted dying will be a cohort of people. The parameters in other jurisdictions are more broad and I am not saying that is necessarily wrong. The legislation must be robust and identify who can avail of assisted dying. Does Dr. Hartney agree that legislators, such as us, must put in place legislation to identify those who cannot avail of assisted dying?