Committee to recommend laws to allow those with terminal illness avail of assisted dying 

If enacted, this Bill would give a medical practitioner the legal right to assist a qualifying person to end their life. Picture: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire

New laws to allow people suffering from terminal illnesses to avail of assisted dying are being recommended by a special Oireachtas Committee.

Politicians who have been examining the issue are set to recommend that assisted dying be legislated for in cases where a person with an incurable illness is expected to die within six months.

However, this timeline would be extended to 12 months when a person has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease.

The recommendations will state that the person must diagnosed with a disease, illness or medical condition that is both "incurable and irreversible, advanced, progressive's and will cause death".

Another stipulation is that the illness or condition is causing suffering to the person that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person finds tolerable.

The Joint Committee on Assisted Dying, which was set up last year to examine the issue, is to publish its report on 20 March, with the full recommendations around legislation.

In recent months committee members have heard from legal and medical experts, have been briefed on how other jurisdictions that provide assisted dying services and have also gained insight from a number of campaigners.

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 sought to allow for the provision of assisted dying in cases where a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness to allow them to achieve a dignified and peaceful end of life. 

If enacted, this Bill would give a medical practitioner the legal right to assist a qualifying person to end their life, according to the terms of this Act.