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THE FINAL REPORT by the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying will go before the Dáil next week.
TDs will cast a vote on the report on Wednesday.
The report, which was published in March, recommended that assisted dying should be made legal under strict criteria.
Accepting the report will not mean that a law is passed, but will indicate the level of support among politicians.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said his party, Fianna Fáil, will have a free vote on the issue – meaning the party’s whip will not direct its TDs on which way to vote.
People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has called on other parties to follow suit.
Nine out of the 14 members of the Oireacthas committee on assisted dying supported the report as a split emerged in the closing days of the committee.
Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae, who has acted as the chair of the committee, Independent Senator Ronan Mullen, and Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy all said at the time that they fundamentally disagreed with the conclusions.
The three members published a minority report of their own on the issue.
Speaking yesterday in the Dáil, Kenny asked the Tánaiste if Government parties would be granting TDs a free vote on the issue.
Martin said: “Even though I do not agree with such legislation and have very serious reservations about it, nonetheless, it will be a vote of conscience for each individual member of our party.”
“I cannot speak for other parties in the Government,” he added.
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I had 3 of my dogs put to sleep in the last 2 years. As the vet said it was the right and kind thing to do. they where in pain and suffering. I would like to hope later on in life some one would afford me the choice should I be suffering.
@Jimmy Donovan: I so agree with you,but hey look who we’re on the ” comatee” The Belt of the crozier” was as present as if JOHN CHARLES MCQUAID was the chairman.!!!!!
@Jimmy Donovan: Good man Jimmy. Maybe they’ll take you to the vet when the time comes?
@Jimmy Donovan: pass the legislation and let the people decide how to depart. If you don’t want it, don’t use it… but don’t impose your morals onto others. This is about personal choice, and I agree, if you kept a pet alive under the same circumstances, you’d be jailed for animal cruelty.
In a liberal society, if we believe we have a right to live in dignity, we should also believe we have a right to die in dignity.
Irrespective of anybodys views on this I think it’s vitally important we, as a nation, are brave & mature enough to have an open transparent INFORMATIVE discussion on this. Obviously, this is & will be a highly charged emotional debate with extremely entrenched arguments / beliefs from both sides but I, for 1, think it’s a debate we are ready for& necessary
@Frank Mc Carthy: I can’t see one argument for why this shouldn’t be allowed.
@declan benson: while I’m all for it, personally, the fear of coercion by subtle or not so subtle means is a valid fear.
@declan benson: the God squad will!!
@declan benson: we will come back to this topic once you or someone you know gets pancrea cancer.
@declan benson: apologies, I didnt mean to reply to you, please ignore
@declan benson: I can see plenty, hence, why an OPEN & WELL INFORMED debate is a requisite
@Frank Mc Carthy: completely agree though with unchecked misinformation proliferating and people relying on algorithmically driven outrage platforms for their information I fear an emotive subject like this will be almost impossible to discuss effectively.
@Sandra: It’s not emotive at all.
I should have the right to decide to end my life.
We should be long past the point where a Church – or any other person or group – tells us what we can do with our own bodies.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: totally agree. It shouldn’t be emotive. But the online troll farms are frighteningly good at turning these topics into culture wars that proliferate online and drown out reasonable discussions about this and other important issues.
Let people decide for themselves!!
Let people decide when they want to die themselves especially people with terminal illnesses
As time goes on would the right to die become a duty to die ?
@JP: You would reject this based on some unfounded fear of a possibility?
@JP: What is wrong with a duty to yourself,by yourself,the will do the ” compus mentus ” test anyway.!!!!!
I am going on 87 and accepted a pacemaker two years ago and living the life I promised my Cardiac surgeon I would.However if I developed an incurable dease or such like I would like that it could be switched off and appropriate measures taken to end my pain,instead of having to go to Switzerland.The good old Irish phrase if your dog was in pain ,you would put him out of his misery.!!!!!!
@Elizabeth Doyle: Who’s they?
What about the hate speech bill
@Michael Lyons: That article was disappeared by The Journal very quickly.
I wonder why.
In a real Representative Democracy *all* votes must be free votes.
We elect someone to carry out our wishes, not those of some party.
I don’t know what the big deal is about assisted dying,we have it in most hospitals already,20,000 babies a year , it’s called Abortion
@pauley870: oho please. . . . .
@pauley870: Not a single person is aborted.
No matter what your religious whackadoodle beliefs may be.
Let me assume you call yourself a Christian.
Can you answer one simple question: why do you worship evil?
And another: do you really think we should allow those who worship evil to have any control over our lives?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Why are you bringing religion into it.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Who’s worshipping evil? Nobody on this thread. What a strange remark.
@pauley870: out of order enough suffering than comparing, assisting dying.
@IMHO: Christians worship an evil entity.
All you have to do is read – and understand what you read – the Christian Bible to understand that.
@Daniel Roche: Those who claim that “babes” are aborted are only doing so because of weird religious beliefs.
This needs to be brought in as soon as. Anyone who has watched a loved one die an undignified death will agree.
@Freda Peeple: what’s an undignified death? I’ve watched a loved one die…with pain relief and compassion.
@Clare Power: whilst it is very sad that you had to experience that, pain relief and/or compassion are often not present or don’t work when needed most.
My life, my body. . . Absolutely should be my choice, not some TD or Bishop telling me what I can or cannot do.
Provided the legislation has a similar provision to the conscience clause in the abortion legislation (allowing doctors, nurses and paramedics an opt-out in having any hand, act, or part of it) I would reluctantly agree. There must also be safeguards to ensure financially interested parties have no influence on decision-making, and also safeguards to ensure consent is informed and genuine.
Don’t be under any illusion of TD’s voting their own choice. They will vote in line with FF leader instructions.
I’m definitely in favour of this . The UK are going through the same process, and some of the arguments against are plainly ridiculous.
I just hope we don’t make a mess of it allowing all and sundry to try and scupper it.
Politicians have to toe the party line ,no such thing as a free vote ,so that’s a lie for starters
The church still playing a role in Irish politics, I’d say shocking but they still run most of the schools in Ireland.
@Brian D’Arcy: Indeed. The vile cult of Rome has many guises, The Iona Institute, Opus Dei etc. Still promoting their nonsense in our so-called secular society and influencing political policies.
@Brian D’Arcy: if you don’t like it emigrate
Very big of you to withold the whip on this issue you effing clown. The whip is one of the most disgusting weapons the party leadership forces on its members and in doing so shows the gutless swines who accept it for the cowards they are. It just makes a mockery of so called democracy.
@Gerry Lamont: without a whip system nothing would pass.
@Gerry Lamont: Does anybody in their right mind ever think that Martin has a conscience
@Brian D’Arcy: A whip system is contrary to democracy, no matter how you try to spin it.
And the US – for one – doesn’t have a whip system.
Somehow it has come to dominate the World
Generally, you know well beforehand if your fate is to die slowly and in agony. I suggest people consider what actions they could take themselves before they become incapacitated.
@offside again: did you just go down the road of ‘ victim blaming’ on those unfortunate enough to succumb to a debilitating illness.
@North Phone Bowe: no. How did you manage to think that ?
Could a Commission be established to examine all the pros and cons of the Final Report ? Is the Final Report anything like the Final Solution ?
Midazolam 3ml plus morphine 1ml IV injection to kill ,is that what you want to do with your loved ones ! Shame on F@¥in ¥
@ibrahim Sudane: If you can’t let your loved ones go of their own volition should they want to, you never really loved them.
@ibrahim Sudane: Would you like your loved one to be in chronic pain and unable to look after themselves?
@ibrahim Sudane: That’ll do me fine if I get diagnosed with motor neuron disease!
@ibrahim Sudane: my friend died in agony. There was no help available as hospice had done their best but the drugs had done all they could. What was the point in putting him and his family through this terrible ordeal? He wanted to die but was given no choice.
@ibrahim Sudane: we shall pick up this discussion with you after you or someone you love gets pancrea cancer
@ibrahim Sudane: yes. . . If I preserves my loved ones dignity. .
Would never have this man assist me to die or any die.
@Phillip Smyth: this actually how the word die is pronounced in Birmingham
@Phillip Smyth: day die
Some comments closed on The Journal these days,is this the future of journalism,the people blocked from commenting on stories that effect them
What about the gender issue in the hate speech Bill
@Michael Lyons: What gender issue?
Whilst in theory I support this especially for specific cases e.g intractable pain, motor neuron disease etc, I worry about it being open to abuse. People feeling coerced into it. Feeling they are a burden on families etc. Also which professionals would be involved in this process? Palliative care doctors/hospice? GPs? This is being discussed in UK as well. Neither of those groups are enthused about getting on board with this. I presume there will be conscientious objectors. Read about what’s happening in Canada in this realm.
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