The Taoiseach has raised concerns that laws enabling assisted suicide could put older people “under pressure” while not ruling out legislation either.
A special Oireachtas committee will look at the issue in the new year with a view to proposing a new law.
However, Micheál Martin has expressed “concerns”, and said it will require a detailed examination.
“I would just be nervous that through any legislation that’s passed — and I’m open to persuasion on this — but that you would create an indirect pressure on older people, in particular, people who are coming to the end of their lives, and all sorts of pressures can happen,” he said.
“So there would have to be very, very strong safeguards.”
He suggested that a Citizens’ Assembly could be “useful” to discuss, in a mature and detailed manner, what is an emotive issue.
“I understand fully the issues, from an individual perspective, if you have a terminal illness, and the pain associated with that — but the implications could be far and wide,” he said.
For specific areas, you can see an application for it, but what are the wider impacts of any legislation we would pass and governance around all of that?”
The Taoiseach also pointed to the advances and improvements that have been made in palliative care over the past two decades, which has made end-of-life more comfortable for both patients and their families.
