Dying with Dignity Bill: Vicky Phelan delighted with progress

Vicky Phelan is delighted that the bill was passed to the second stage in the Dáil.  File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan is “delighted” with the passing of the Dying with Dignity Bill through the second stage in the Dáil.

The terminally ill Ms Phelan said while there is a long way to go and the Bill will require lots of scrutiny and amendments, she described the bill’s passage represented a “good day for democracy”.

A failure by Taoiseach Micheál Martin to address concerns from TDs over the Dying with Dignity Bill on Wednesday, led a number of his party to vote against the Government.

The Irish Examiner has confirmed that TDs in the party were “left fuming” by the Taoiseach’s failure to spell out his position on the controversial bill which passed through Second Stage by 81 votes to 71.

As an act of defiance, some of the TDs decided to vote against a government amendment to the bill, which was ultimately defeated.

The Government, through justice minister Helen McEntee, had tabled the amendment which would have seen it referred to a new special committee for 12 months’ deliberation.

However, that amendment was defeated by 86 votes to 65 with one abstention from junior minister Robert Troy.

Sources within Fianna Fáil have said at the parliamentary party meeting, questions about how the bill was proceeding to Mr Martin from Éamon Ó Cuív, Andrias Moynihan, and Cormac Devlin were not addressed adequately, they felt.

“Micheál was confronted about what we felt was the unacceptable fact that the bill was being passed at second stage under the government amendment, albeit delayed a year. Many of us felt the process should start at the beginning. But he gave us nothing so anyone who was wavering simply voted against,” said one TD.

As a result, 11 Fianna Fáil TDs — junior minister Mary Butler, Jackie Cahill, former minister Dara Calleary, Cormac Devlin, Joe Flaherty, John Lahart, John McGuinness, Michael Moynihan, former deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív, and former minister Brendan Smith — all voted against the amendment.

Sources have said that ahead of the vote, anxious and nervous Fianna Fáil TDs were seeking advice from Mr Ó Cuív as how to cast their ballot.

As a result of the voting down of the amendment, the bill as sponsored by Gino Kenny, the People Before Profit TD, was then voted upon and was passed with the help of seven Cabinet ministers, who only moments before voted in favour of the amendment to delay the bill.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minsters McEntee, Stephen Donnelly, Simon Harris, Eamon Ryan, Catherine Martin, and Roderic O’Gorman all voted in favour of the bill just minutes after they sought to block it.

A spokesman for Mr Varadkar explained his actions by saying: “There was a free vote of conscience on the bill itself. So TDs and ministers within Fine Gael were free to make up their own minds.”

A spokesman for Ms McEntee said while she has concerns about aspects of the Dying with Dignity Bill, and would have preferred the Oireachtas Committee option, she hopes for a calm, reasoned debate on what is proposed.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Ms Phelan said she was thrilled with the result.

“Going into the vote, I didn’t expect it to go passed the amendment stage. I didn’t want it to go to the special committee because I felt it was kicking the can down the road. 

"But either way it was a win-win as the issue was being progressed,” she said.