An assisted suicide bill has been described as a massive change to law and culture that would impose upon doctors the task of killing adult life for the first time ever.

Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has called for an honest, open and fair debate on the so-called “Death with Dignity Bill” of Socialist TD, Gino Kenny, that was introduced in the Dáil on Tuesday.

The Meath West TD said the bill would make it legal for one person to kill another. “Once this Rubicon has been crossed as in other countries, they have found it impossible to limit the further broadening of criteria for the ending of life”.

He said countries such as Canada, Netherlands and Belgium initially introduced assisted suicide for a small number of really difficult cases but have now seen the numbers increase nine and 10-fold. Likewise, while this Bill sets 18 years as the minimum age to avail of Assisted Suicide, “In countries that have made the major cultural change the age limit has been dropped to include children. Belgium did this and children as young as 9 and 11-year-old have been killed”.

He added that in countries that have introduced Assisted Suicide pressure starts to grow on older people and people with severe disabilities.

It likewise makes it harder to reduce suicide rates. “How can a country tell people that suicide is never the right decision when it makes it legal and says to some people that it is the right decision”.