Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was privileged to be part of the Bill. Senator Colm Burke led the way legally, parliamentarily and in every other way, language-wise, with the Bill.I learned a significant amount. The Minister is correct that Senator Burke, among others, has been waiting for two years for the Bill to be progressed. In the meantime, I wrote a big report for the Government on dying, death and bereavement and it was interesting that people's fears about their loved ones being lost and being in a legal limbo arose in that regard. I congratulate Senator Burke and am happy to support the amendments if he is happy with them from a legal point of view. I thank the Minister for seeing the Bill through to this Stage. I will go along with what Senator Burke has to say about the amendments. I look forward to the Minister's answer to Senator Ruane's question on the need for the Garda to say a death is highly probable.