‘Prioritise’ assisted death laws for terminally ill, says John Halligan

Laws giving terminally ill people the right to assisted death need to be a Dáil priority, Junior Minister John Halligan says.

Mr Halligan, who introduced the Dying With Dignity Bill last December, said he would be pushing to have it debated as soon as possible but warned that religious beliefs needed to be left out of the discussions.

“Our elderly populations are living longer, with the result that the rate of chronic illnesses is also on the rise,” he said.