Medics who care for the dying have warned an Oireachtas committee against euthanasia [1].
Professor Regina McQuillan told the committee that the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultants Association is “fundamentally opposed to the introduction of assisted dying, assisted suicide or euthanasia”.
The Joint Committee on Assisted Dying was examining the potential impact legalising euthanasia could have on palliative care.
“My question to the committee is, what percentage of incorrect deaths would be acceptable to legalise assisted suicide?” Matthew Doré of the Association of Palliative Medicine asked.
He pointed to “consistent surveys and polls” showing that “upwards of 82% of our membership are against this legislation”, as they believe that “inevitably there will be incorrect deaths” if it is introduced.
These could include people with an incorrect or unpredictable medical diagnosis, those struggling with mental health issues or “fluctuating autonomy”, or someone who is being subjected to elder abuse, Dr Doré said.