A dispute has emerged among the members of the Oireachtas special committee on assisted dying, with the chairman, Independent TD for Kerry Michael Healy-Rae, facing accusations of attempting to “undermine” the committee’s final report just before it is due to be made public. Some among the Fine Gael representatives on the committee suggested Healy-Rae’s intention to launch a minority report following its release on Wednesday undermined the report’s credibility.
This morning, Healy-Rae thanked his colleagues and courteously informed them of his plans to present a “set of minority suggestions” on behalf of the three members who disagreed with the report’s core findings recommending legislation for assisted dying. Other dissenters included Independent Senator Ronán Mullen, and Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil TD for Longford Westmeath. Their opposition to the report, scheduled to be published at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, stimulated a sharp reaction from Fine Gael TD for Fingal, Alan Farrell. Farrell expressed his lack of surprise at Healy-Rae’s actions, criticizing him for undermining the integrity of a report he had played a significant role in developing.
Ms Seery-Kearney sided with Mr Farrell, pointing out the untenability of Healy-Rae presenting a report as the Committee Chair to the press and later presenting a minority report contradicting the previously presented report. Meanwhile, Senator Mullen stated that the case for assisted dying “has not been proven, whereas the case against any change is compelling”.
In their official recommendations, the three opposing opinions assert that “every life has intrinsic value”. They are advocating for investment towards “vital, high-standard end-of-life care services” that have long been anticipated. Additionally, they urge for a research to be conducted on “the prevalence of discrimination against disabled individuals in Ireland”, and a significant enhancement in “mental health aid to detect issues with depression” which they believe could influence appeals for assisted death. They make a case that public funds would be more beneficial if channeled towards mental health support rather than towards enabling assisted death.