A coalition of medical professionals and disability rights advocates has expressed concern that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying (JCAD) is ready to recommend legislating for euthanasia/assisted suicide in Ireland.

On Wednesday evening, the committee voted to allow people with just six months to live to avail of euthanasia/assisted suicide by nine votes to three. For those with a neurodegenerative condition, this could be extended to 12 months.

A person must be diagnosed with a disease, illness or medical condition which is incurable and irreversible, advanced, progressive and will cause death – and also that is expected to cause death within six months.

The committee is scheduled to issue its report on 20 March which will contain a number of recommendations.

Dr. Miriam Colleran of Hope Ireland said: “we’re surprised that the majority of committee members have taken such a different opinion to the Danish Ethics Committee which recently published a report (16 of 17 members) that safeguards could not be introduced to make assisted dying, euthanasia and / or assisted suicide safe.”