Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. This is my second time in the Seanad since my appointment. So far, I have not been anywhere else yet. It is a pleasure to be back in the House again.

I welcome the publication of the important report, Finite Lives, Dying Death and Bereavement: An Examination of State Services in Ireland, and thank the Seanad for the opportunity afforded to me to discuss its findings and extensive recommendations. It is fair to say the report would not have come about without the impetus provided by Senator Marie-Louise O’Donnell. It was kick-started by her initial motion on end of life care and bereavement carried in the Seanad in April 2014. The motion called on the Government to explore the components of an overarching strategy on end of life and bereavement which would examine wider societal issues, including legal issues, finance, economics, education and culture. In response to the motion, the then Taoiseach invited the Senator, in a letter of 26 March 2015, to examine Departments' policies, services and procedures around dying, death and bereavement and consider how they could be improved. A report on how the various Departments support their staff was completed in 2015 and, following the 2016 general election, work commenced on reviewing Departments' support to the public. This report is the outcome of this large body of work.

Dying, death and bereavement affects each and every one of us. It is a traumatic experience, although sometimes we do not fully acknowledge this. I was reminded of the final lines of a poem by Francis Ledwidge,To One Dead:

The silence for you

And the sorrow for me.

Ledwidge was no stranger to death. While Senators will be aware of the poet's early death, it is worth bearing in mind that his father died when he was five years old and his mother and he himself, as a teenager, had to go out to work to support the family.

Irish people are well aware of the sorrow of bereavement. We provide huge support to family members, relations, neighbours and friends when a bereavement is imminent and occurs. This is one of the very positive aspects of our society. However, we also need to identify the State's role surrounding end of life supports for those approaching death and their survivors. This was essentially the remit given to the Senator, namely, to establish the policies, services and procedures around dying, death and bereavement provided by the State and how they could be improved or developed.

Senator O'Donnell and her research team sent questionnaires to the Secretaries General of Departments, surveyed Deputies and Senators, carried out interviews with academics and practitioners and conducted desk research. I commend her on producing such an impressive body of work in such a short time.