An Oireachtas committee has called on the Government to legalise assisted dying in certain restricted circumstances.
The Special Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying this afternoon published a 96-page report which includes 38 recommendations.
These include the establishment of an independent body to oversee all assisted dying applications, increased funding for palliative care, and research into economic disadvantage and health inequalities, with a focus on "the question of people feeling a burden".
The publication of the report follows months of hearing from experts and interested parties, some of whom detailed how assisted dying operates in Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada and the US state of Oregon.
The recommendations are supported by nine of the committee's 14 members.
Three others have published a dissenting minority report. One committee member abstained from the final vote and another was absent.
If introduced, the legislation would primarily apply to a person diagnosed with an illness or medical condition that is incurable, irreversible, progressive and advanced and will cause death within six months.
A 12-month time limit is recommeded for neurodegenerative conditions, as is a provision that the illness must be causing suffering which cannot be relieved in a way that the ill person finds tolerable.
Any doctor, nurse or medical worker should be allowed to avail of a conscientious objection clause.
Many recommendations deal with ensuring that adequate safeguards are put in place, including three specifically on the issue of coercion.
The full list of recommendations can be read here.
'A very important step'
Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Health and committee member David Cullinane said that the assisted dying recommended by the report "is very restrictive", as there is no "public appetite" for an unregulated system.
Legislation should not be rushed and there will need to be a lot of pre-legislative scrutiny, he added.
While the compilation of the majority report "is a very important step", he warned that the process ahead will be difficult.
Committee leas-Cathaoirleach, Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, acknowledged that assisted dying is "very complex" and a "profoundly difficult" topic to address.
The completion of the report is "hugely significant," he said.
"This is an issue that society needs to face up to," Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins stated, and warned that it should not be "long fingered".
Two of the report's recommendations must be quickly implemented, she said.
These are that the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities be ratified, and the updated Palliative Care Strategy published.
Minority report
Committee Cathaoirleach, Rural Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae published a dissenting minority report along with two other committee members.
"Every life is worth living," Deputy Healy-Rae said. "Every life is a precious thing."
Independent Senator Rónán Mullen expressed his doubts that the majority recommendations "will ever see legislation".
"What we're saying is that the case has not been established that we should introduce assisted dying," he said.
The recent referendum results showed that those in the Oireachtas "are not always ultimately in touch with what the people want," he added.
If the Cabinet backs the majority report's recommendations, any legislation would need to clear both Houses of the Oireachtas before the next general election - otherwise it all falls.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath called for an "open, honest and healthy public debate on an issue as sensitive and serious as this".
The Government will consider both the majority and miniority reports, Mr McGrath said.
