Dying with Dignity Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2020-10-01
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Anne Rabbitte (FF), Galway East

I thank Members who have contributed to the debate on the Private Members' Dying with Dignity Bill 2020. I am grateful to Deputy Gino Kenny and his colleagues for highlighting the need to address assisted dying and for contributing to the debate. I do not doubt the Bill has been tabled with the best of humanitarian objectives in a sincere effort to ensure every Irish person who is dying, no matter from what, has the right to die with dignity.
The Bill raises significant legal, ethical and policy issues and issues of freedom, justice and compassion, which deserve our full consideration. Dying is a highly charged and emotional matter. Most of us simply find it too difficult to have the necessary conversations involved to face up to the fact of our own death or that of someone we love. We prefer to stick our fingers in our ears and get on with living. When we add assistance into the idea of death it makes it an even more intense conversation. There are deeply held views in the Oireachtas and throughout the country on this issue, and in taking the next steps as a Parliament and Government we must respect and hear all of them.
We all hope we can leave this world peacefully and with dignity. Will the Bill help or hinder this process? As I believe we need to discuss this and give it the time and attention it deserves, I am adding my support to the countermotion of the Minister for Justice and Equality, which proposes a time delay that would allow scrutiny by a joint Oireachtas committee in order to adequately consider the policy and legal issues raised in the Bill.
The Bill requires careful deliberation. We need to consider it together with wider society and expert professional groups as well as a wide range of Departments and the Office of the Attorney General. Which aspects of the Bill do we need to consider? Is it more compassionate to allow people the right to end their lives or to protect people's lives at all costs? Does the Bill do enough to protect and safeguard the vulnerable and vindicate their constitutional rights? As the High Court asked in 2013, are the safeties in place for the aged, disabled, the poor, the unwanted, the rejected, the lonely, the impulsive, the financially compromised and the emotionally vulnerable so they would not disguise their own personal preference and elect to hasten death because they do not want to be a burden on family and society?
From the legal perspective of protecting the vulnerable and vindicating their constitutional right to life, further consideration needs to be given to the period of time given to persons with a terminal illness and how that time might make them eligible to access assisted dying. More discussion on the role of the patient's family members or those acting in a position of enduring power of attorney needs to be had. The Bill makes no mention of this, which is a crucial oversight.
Like it or not, death is an issue that every one of us will face and because of this we need to give the Bill serious time, attention and consideration. This is a highly emotive subject. To some, the issue is anchored in the rights of a person to have some control over the time and manner of his or her death. For others, there are very real concerns about the potential for knock-on consequences, including inappropriate deaths, the normalisation of suicide and the impact on palliative care. We must recognise the legitimacy of all of these viewpoints and take them all into account in our deliberations.
We have big questions to ask about the Bill. For me, the biggest one at present is whether the current legal status of assisted dying is in step or out of step with Irish public opinion. What does the electorate want? As elected Members of the Dáil, we need to ensure we are correctly representing people. I do not believe we have the time and space to do that properly without the proposed amendment the Government has tabled. The proposed joint Oireachtas committee would provide the time and space to undertake a detailed examination of the proposal in the Bill, hear expert advice and make recommendations on how best to proceed, including on possible amendments. The Government is aware that if we are to deal with assisted dying comprehensively in law we must give it the careful nuanced consideration it deserves. Allowing a committee time to consider all the issues involved is the best way to make sure the law we put in place takes a careful, measured and well evidenced approach and will do the best for all our citizens. We are all ultimately on the same side; we all want to do the best for the people of Ireland.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2020-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-10-01