Dying with Dignity Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2020-10-01
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Peter Fitzpatrick (IND), Louth

What is happening in Canada is the same as what happened in other countries that introduced euthanasia, or assisted dying as some people insist on calling it. Once the law permits the ending of life, very soon it is no longer confined to the so-called hard cases. The door to unrestricted euthanasia is thrown open. Using phrases like "a very restrictive Bill with lots of safeguards" does not make it so. The only thing that matters is the text of the Bill and the Bill before us this evening would open up the door to one of the most extreme regimes anywhere in the world. Having good intentions is not good enough in this situation. What matters are facts and the facts show that in every country that has introduced similar laws to the ones proposed in this Bill, it is only a matter of time until there is unrestricted euthanasia. We have a suicide crisis at present and huge efforts are being made in the area of suicide prevention. Members should think of the mixed messages and signals this sends out to people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts to hear people on the radio and in the Dáil making the case for assisted suicide.
The amount of correspondence I have received in recent days from healthcare professionals is unbelievable. They all raise serious concerns about the impact a change in the law in this area would have on the very vulnerable people in the area. Away from the soft-focus interviews that many in the media have been conducting on this issue in recent weeks, there are people all around Ireland who have been listening to this debate and are disconcerted and upset by what they have heard. I know the supporters of the Bill never intended to add to their suffering and I would never level this charge. However, the message the medical professions have been sending to Deputies in recent days is loud and clear. The impact of what is said in debates like this and the changes to the law in the area can be devastating for the most vulnerable and fragile members of our community who oftentimes start to see themselves as a burden on society with a duty to end their lives. We must listen to what the experts are saying in this regard.
Before I conclude, some months ago I raised an issue in this House about a do not resuscitate, DNR, order that has been placed on the medical charts of some residents of nursing homes without the consent of the residents themselves or their loved ones.
The matter was also raised in a recent HIQA report.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-10-01