Euthanasia should be legalised according to well-known CervicalCheck campaigner Vicky Phelan. She told the Irish Mail on Sunday she would avail of it herself if it were available in the State, although if it were not, she wouldn’t travel abroad to avail of it in case it got any of her family into legal difficulties.

In a candid interview she said she would be “pro euthanasia, definitely”.

“I would hate to be in position where I was in a lot of pain or lingering, as can happen a lot, that people are waiting for four or five days for somebody to die. It’s terrible for the patient. It’s terrible for the family having to sit and watch their loved one. It’s not a nice sight to see people when they’re dying,” she said.

“I think when you’re time has come – especially when you’re at a point, particularly like this with terminal cancer, and you’re in the last week or two of your life and you know there’s no coming back – why don’t they just put you out of your misery? If it was legal in this country I’d be doing it, I can tell you”.