Results 721-740 of 7,581 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: That is all I wanted to know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: There are people who are more libertarian on the thing. This is what I am trying to establish. There are people who say this is just restricted and so far, no problem. We have heard and I do not know if it is true or if you would dispute it, but is it possible you are not picking up on problems because you are not gathering data? Is what Dr. Donnelly says true, that the proposals to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Could Dr. Good perhaps address that question about data because it is key to the credibility of the whole process? Is what Dr. Donnelly said true about the inadequacy of data being gathered? Dr. Good is the official who is presumably nearest to the one responsible for administering this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I would have thought that on something so serious you would be erring on the side of getting as much data as you could. Could Dr. Donnelly speak to that issue, please?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: But you are not gathering data as she is saying. I do not know, I am not the expert here, but Dr. Donnelly is saying you are not gathering the data that was requested and she compared it with Oregon. I would like to hear more about that issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Certainly----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: If, as we have learned, and it is a rising number, 53% of those who access assisted suicide in Oregon cited feeling a burden to others as an issue of concern, that is a massive concern to people. I would expect if you are gathering data, surely it is not just about how happy are the doctors and others involved in the procedure, how happy are the people who requested it. Are you not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I stepped out for a moment so it may be that Dr. Good already had a chance to answer my earlier question about the issue of practitioner intolerance. She may have addressed that but I would like to hear more about it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: How is it manifesting itself though? Is Dr. Good in a position to say anything about the breach?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: How extensive is the practitioner intolerance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Sorry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: How low is low?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: This is about life and death. I do not think anybody should be laughing. This is about life and death. If one single person is coerced or loses his or her life because the witnesses have not done their job adequately is why we have to scrutinise this. It is not for jokes. This is life and death. This is about vulnerable people. We are all here in good faith trying to scrutinise the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: That is important. I thank Dr. Good for clarifying that. New Zealand is only two years into this but, please, no smart comments about smoking guns. So many jurisdictions in the world are full of smoking guns, as we have heard. It is not a matter of laughter or smart comments, no matter how eminent the politician is at the other side.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Sorry to interrupt. I have to put a point of order. What Dr. Nitschke is saying is interesting but did we have a discussion at some stage at the committee about whether we were going to talk about drugs in open session? Does it raise issues about the vulnerability of people who might be watching and so on? I have some recollection of there being concerns about-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I am obviously thinking on my feet and I am not in any way trying to obstruct Dr. Nitschke. He is clear about the point he is making and his position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Yes, it might be helpful because an issue arises here concerning vulnerable people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I am open to correction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I thank all of our experts and guests for attending this evening or this morning, depending on where they are. I might start with Dr. Mewett, who is a palliative care physician. Could he give us a quick definition of what palliative care is for him?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: That would be one that would be commonly shared across the world. I did some work with the Council of Europe in terms of the provision of palliative care in Europe. I am fascinated by Dr. Mewett because he is a palliative care physician who supports assisted suicide or assisted dying, call it what you will. Certainly, the majority in the profession in Ireland would be very concerned about...