Michael Healy-Rae to chair Oireachtas committee on assisted dying

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny said he hopes the work of the committee will pave the way for the introduction of assisted dying legislation within the lifetime of this Government

Michael Healy-Rae has been selected by the Rural Independent Group to head up the committee which will be asked to examine new laws to allow those suffering from a terminal illness to be assisted in dying. File picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Michael Healy-Rae is to chair a special Oireachtas committee that will look into assisted dying in this country.

The Kerry TD has been selected by the Rural Independent Group to head up the committee which will be asked to examine new laws to allow those suffering from a terminal illness to be assisted in dying.

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, who has been campaigning on the issue for many years, said it is now very timely to be discussing dying with dignity.

"This is the right time to have a debate and a meaningful discussion about the issue because for over a decade this issue has been raised in numerous very high-profile cases in relation to those who wanted to avail of it at the time," he said.

"It think it's very important that we have a debate that looks at the full spectrum, it's quite a complicated debate and an Oireachtas Special Committee is probably the best place to tease out all of the arguments."

Mr Kenny said he hopes the work of the committee will pave the way for the introduction of assisted dying legislation within the lifetime of this Government.

Pa Daly, who along with Sorca Clarke is expected to represent Sinn Féin on the committee, said he would be taking soundings from those within his own constituency on the issue as part of his work.

The Kerry TD said any constitutional implications will have to be examined and the views of those on both sides of the argument must to be heard by the committee.

In 2021, it was recommended that an Oireachtas Special Committee be established to undertake an examination on the topic of assisted dying which should report within a specific timeframe. This came after the Justice Committee examined the Dying with Dignity Bill which was put forward by Mr Kenny.

The Bill had sought to allow for the provision of assisted dying in cases where a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness with the aim of allowing them to achieve a dignified and peaceful end of life. If enacted, this Bill would give a medical practitioner the legal right to provide assistance to a qualifying person to end their life, according to the terms of this Act.

Mr Kenny said: "I think it's important that it's being established, because there has been an enormous delay in relation to when the Justice Committee recommended that a special committee would be set up over a year and a half ago, so it's important that it's established."