Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 12 December 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying

Examination of Potential Consequences - Protecting and Enhancing the Provision of Palliative Care: Discussion

Professor Max Watson:

Why just leave it at pain? People have a fear of being incontinent. People have a fear of being dependent. People have a fear of being a burden. It goes back to that question of what it is you want with this legislation. Is it to allow people the right to decide they have had enough and they want their life to end? It is conflating the issue of pain when it actually comes down to preserving autonomy. If autonomy is your goal then-----