A special committee of the Oireachtas is poised to advocate for new legislation allowing those with six months or less to live to opt for assisted dying. This period could be extended to a year for individuals suffering from neurodegenerative conditions. After votes held late night on Wednesday, the Committee on Assisted Dying decided to back such legislation. A definitive report on this decision is set to be released by the end of this month.
The committee was instituted based on a suggestion from the Justice Committee, following its review of assisted dying legislation drafted by Gino Kenny, a TD from People Before Profit. However, the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors had raised significant legal issues during the review, highlighting “serious drafting mistakes and ambiguities”.
Fast forward to now, this special committee has recommended new legislation allowing assisted dying for those diagnosed with an unbearable and incurable illness and given a prognosis of dying within six months, or up to a year in some scenarios. In order to qualify for assisted dying, patients must have an incurable, irreversible and advanced illness that is not only leading to death but also causing the patient intolerable suffering.
The committee robustly supported these proposals with their votes on Wednesday night. It is also believed that the committee is under the opinion that these changes could be implemented without necessitating a constitutional referendum.