On Wednesday, the Irish parliament – called the Dáil – voted to “note” the final report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, which calls on the Republic of Ireland to legalize assisted dying in certain restricted circumstances. The vote was 76 in favor with 53 against.
Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae, the Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, was not in favor of the report.
“I don’t believe that it’s the place of a legislator to speed you up on that journey,” he told RTÉ.
“At present, if you assist somebody in dying in Ireland, you will get a mandatory jail sentence for doing so,” he said.
What is being suggested in this report is that in certain limited, certain circumstances, that you could assist somebody into the journey of death and that there would not be any legal penalty for it. It is a very serious move,” he continued.
“I looked at the evidence given from psychiatrists who also argued to us that, in their terminology, it could lead to a slippery slope, with increasing numbers of people looking to end their lives because of a number of different reasons,” he continued.
“I know that there are hard cases, but hard cases make for bad laws,” Healy-Rae said.
Eilís Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign said in a statement that it is important to recognize the vote was not a vote on the issue of euthanasia or assisted suicide itself “but was on whether to note the radical and far-reaching report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying, which called for the introduction of euthanasia/assisted suicide.”
“It would have been preferable if a majority of TDs had voted No. It is clear from the remarks of many Oireachtas members in recent days that they haven’t reflected on or studied the extreme recommendations contained in the JCAD report,” she said.
“In addition to reducing the value of human life and undermining anti-suicide campaigns, the introduction of euthanasia/assisted suicide in Ireland would have the impact of undercutting investment in palliative care and would inevitably lead to certain vulnerable groups feeling growing pressure to opt for euthanasia/assisted suicide, as shown by what has happened in the small number of countries that have gone down this road,” Mulroy continued.
“Significantly the push for euthanasia/ assisted suicide has been opposed by professional bodies such as the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland and the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultants Association. I sincerely hope TDs will take account of this going forward,” she said.
“The focus of the Oireachtas should be on promoting assisted living, not assisted dying. There is so much good and life-affirming work that needs to be done in this area and candidates in the upcoming General Election have a duty to state clearly where they stand on the issue, so voters are left in no doubt with regard to their position,” Mulroy added.
The Irish bishops have also called for more focus on palliative care.
“It is our experience however that, in the final weeks of terminal illness, many people can be helped to experience human and spiritual growth,” they said in a statement earlier this year.
“Faced with the reality of their own mortality, they can and do come to understand themselves better, and to experience the love of family members and friends. This can be a time when old hurts are healed and people find inner peace. This process is supported through palliative and pastoral care, which places the focus on the needs of the whole person,” the bishops’ statement said.
“The Church does not and never has insisted on the use of extraordinary means to prolong life. Nor is there any moral obligation on a sick person to accept treatment which they feel is unduly burdensome,” the bishops added.
“A decision to end life prematurely, however, cuts off any prospect of growth or healing and represents a failure of hope. It is surely far better when a person’s freedom to live is affirmed and supported by a compassionate community of care,” they said.
