A chara, – Last week’s decision by the Oireachtas Justice Committee to scupper the Dying with Dignity Bill was deeply disappointing. At no juncture from the time the Dáil voted to progress the Bill in October had the Justice committee made any meaningful engagement with the general public regarding the issue and the Bill itself.
The committee did indeed request written submissions back in November by the public but none of this was ever used in the process of the scrutiny of the wider issue.
In its recommendations, the Justice Committee stated that a special Oireachtas committee be established to undertake an examination on the topic of assisted dying which should report within a specific timeframe.
This should commence in the autumn.
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In the meantime, as sponsor of the Bill I will be redrafting new legislation to take cognisance of the legal advice given by the Oireachtas parliamentary legal advisers. I am confident with cross-party support that in the lifetime of this Dáil legal change will happen around the issue of assisted dying in Ireland. – Yours, etc,
GINO KENNY TD,
People Before Profit,
Leinster Hose,
Dublin 2.