Assisted Decision-Making
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-05
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Mark Duffy (FG), Labour Panel

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. The main point of me raising this issue is that it becomes as stress-free and easy to use as possible. I welcome the proposed measures in relation to additional supports later this year with the launch of the website and the one-stop-shop support. I would like to see as much public consultation and engagement as possible. The gentleman who put it on my radar has a lot to offer with his contribution and experience. He wants to share that experience so that no one has to suffer the arduous and emotive experience he did at a difficult time of his life, with additional stress, frustration and difficulty in the laborious process that is or at least was in place for him.
He wants to make sure that does not happen for other people in the future. I hope that some of these measures can address that.
I would welcome public consultation on this matter or an opportunity for stakeholder engagement in order to allow those who have had difficult experiences to share them and to ensure that the interventions and proposals being put forward address the issues this man outlined. I would also welcome the further promotion of EPAs generally for individuals and couples whose health is not in decline but who will be prepared if, God forbid, that happens at some point down the line. That would be a very good measure for families in the context of their making plans for the future.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-05