The Government have proposed setting up a special Oireachtas committee to examine legalising assisted suicide.

The move is designed to delay by 12 months Gino Kenny’s “Dying with Dignity bill”. The socialist TD’s proposal is due for a Dail debate on Thursday, and a vote to send it for pre-legislative scrutiny on Wednesday of next week.

A special Oireachtas committee would instead allow a far wider scrutiny of the issue than a legislative committee.

Nonetheless, the Government may allow non-Cabinet members a free vote on the Kenny bill so it may yet pass.

Aontú TD for Meath West Peadar Tóibín said he is opposed to the bill, and if the law is going to change in this direction, it needs to be scrutinised so TDs know exactly what they are dealing with.

He said “this is a radical change in Irish law, which seeks to legalise one adult ending the life of another adult”, which he said he understood under the law currently to be manslaughter.

Mr Tóibín said he has invited the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultants’ Association to the Dáil to discuss this and he said the association is opposed to the bill.

He said there are a number of wide open gaps in the legislation, such as not giving a time limit to a terminal illness.

Mr Tóibín said it is important that people do not underestimate the pressure that can be brought to bear on older people who are in very vulnerable situations, where their value changes within society and they can come under strong pressure.

He said: “Palliative care and the weakness in palliative care in this country should not be short-circuited by introducing assisted suicide into this country and we need to invest in end of life.”

The Aontu leader opposes the change and said TDs need to know exactly what’s being proposed.