Assisted dying proposed option for seriously ill
Committee ready to publish recommendations
Only a person diagnosed with a disease, illness or medical condition”
OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE CONTENTS OF REPORT ON ASSISTED DYING
SERIOUSLY ill people should be assessed for assisted dying in certain circumstances, an Oireachtas Committee is to recommend.
The Irish Mirror understands the Special Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying signed off on its report on Wednesday evening.
It is understood the Committee will recommend that “only a person diagnosed with a disease, illness or medical condition” may be eligible to be assessed for assisted dying.
This will be in cases where that person’s illness is both incurable and irreversible”
It is understood in order to be eligible for assessment, the illness should be “advanced, progressive and will cause death” within an expected timeframe of six months.
In the case of a person with a neurodegenerative disease, illness or condition, death should be expected within 12 months in order to be eligible.
It must also be causing suffering to the person that cannot be relieved in a manner the person finds tolerable.
The Committee is believed to have agreed to recommend a person that meets this criteria may be eligible to be assessed for assisted dying.
It is understood the full report is to be published on Wednesday March 20.
It is also understood there was not unanimity on the recommendations, sources suggesting three politicians voted against the report, nine voted in favour and one TD abstained.
The Committee heard testimonies from those advocating for and against assisted dying over the course of nine months.
It also heard about international experiences of euthanasia and what it would mean for people in Ireland if assisted suicide was introduced.
The recommendations will be sent to the Government for consideration.