Results 861-880 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: No. That says something.

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: It was not even on the table.

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: People will wonder.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: My next question is for our guests from the National Suicide Research Foundation. I was very struck by the last key point in their opening statement regarding the lack of evidence for the effectiveness and standardisation of safeguards in the process of assisted dying, with a difficulty in identifying what safeguards would be deemed sufficient. That is almost, but perhaps not quite, saying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Is the story so far that, contrary to what was claimed, there is not evidence of a reduction? The reduction that was suggested is that those who might otherwise choose unassisted suicide, for want of a better term, would have recourse to assisted dying and, therefore, it would be a more benign experience. That does not seem to have been established.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: My friend, Deputy Gino Kenny, has said we should not think of this issue in the context of the suicide debate at all. I am characterising or paraphrasing what he said. Do the witnesses think this is an issue with which we must continue to wrestle?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Up to today, I thought that one of the arguments or concerns was that if we legislated for assisted dying in whatever form on limited grounds, then the argument might be made on equality grounds as to why it cannot be accessed for disability reasons or, indeed, for mental health-related reasons. That is a strong problem to be considered. What I am taking away from today, and I ask the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Should doctors be involved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: It is on the allegation of paternalism, when people who are settled in their mind as to what they want.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I thank all the witnesses for attending the meeting. Dr. Kelleher spoke about exposing more people to vulnerability. As a lay, non-medical person, am I characterising his approach and that of the other witnesses fairly as one that holds that while it may be possible in theory to say there are people, and individuals have been mentioned, who are not suicidal and not affected by mental health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: My colleague and friend, Senator Ruane, mentioned Ireland's abortion law as an example of where limits or margins are put in place. People have different views on that particular issue. People can comment as they wish but I am not asking them to comment on their attitude to Ireland's abortion law. What I do see is an increase in numbers and a lot of controversy about the position of those...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Slightly taller than Barry Desmond.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: It is latchiko central.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. Needless to say, it is not fashionable, and for good reason, to quote Enoch Powell in these Houses. In fact, it is a long time since I heard Enoch Powell quoted. I am a bit of a history buff and I suspect many Members enjoy looking at various famous speeches on YouTube when they have nothing better to do in the evenings and have written to all of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: Indeed. The Ceann Comhairle said when a former Sinn Féin Deputy brought her baby into the Dáil that it was the first time there was an actual baby in the Dáil. My point is quite serious, masked in a small bit of attempted humour. There is a time for maturing. There is a lot of immaturity in our society. I am afraid to say that in our world today we see the increasing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I am very taken with our journey into a discussion of dementia which, as my friend and colleague, Deputy Higgins, said, we have not veered into that much in these weeks. Perhaps I am not fully ready to speak about it myself, but I would offer this much with certainty. I lived with and helped to care for my own father at home for approximately ten years during the time in which he suffered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I suppose what I am saying is that the full vindication of autonomy for one person may actually affect other people's autonomy down the line.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: My point is really then that my father's condition released things into his life and our lives that nobody could have foreseen, not even himself, and I would call it living. I want to ask Dr. Doherty about this. My concern and that of many people is that if we talk about autonomy and choice purely and simply in this area, it is possible that we send out, or that euthanasia or assisted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I might pick up on that point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Rónán Mullen: I think at some point, as a committee, we probably need to think more about what is available in terms of the management of pain and discomfort and sedation. I know that does not address the demand for autonomy but it deals with pain perhaps in a way that hedges against the risk of there being unidentified victims of a change in the law, which I think is what we are talking about here, or...