Protestant, Muslim and Catholic representative all opposed assisted suicide proposals at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying on Thursday.

A Church of Ireland submission said “we must surely, as Christians, never concede that life is anything other than sacred, a gift of God from beginning to end, never to be thrown away as though it were personal property”.

Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rev Dr David Bruce, told the committee that “killing is wrong”.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council, said that “in Islam, the unambiguous prohibition against suicide or assisted dying is unequivocally expressed in the Holy Koran”.

Islam was opposed “to euthanasia, assisted suicide and assisted dying, categorically denouncing these acts as tantamount to murder”, he said.

Legalising assisted dying “may lead individuals to choose death without addressing the underlying causes of their health issues, including mental health. Moreover, there is a concern that vulnerable populations, such as people with disabilities or the elderly, may feel pressured to opt for assisted death to avoid being perceived as burdensome,” he added.