Amendment No. 1 is in the names of the Ministers for Health and Justice and Equality. The question is, "That the amendment be made" and on that question a division has been challenged.
Dying with Dignity Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed)
The following motion was moved by Deputy Gino Kenny on Thursday, 1 October 2020:
That the Bill be now read a Second Time.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following:
“Dáil Éireann:
— acknowledges that assisted suicide is a very complex issue which gives rise to medical, ethical and moral issues, as well as criminal justice and constitutional issues;
— acknowledges the sincere and humanitarian objectives of the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 to minimise human suffering and distress at the end of life;
— acknowledges the vital public interest in protecting persons who are nearing the end of their lives and who might be vulnerable and at risk of abuse;
— notes that the Supreme Court has found that there is no constitutional right to commit suicide or to arrange for the ending of one’s life at a time of one’s choosing, and that the prohibition on assisted suicide was not discriminatory and was not contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights;
— resolves that the Bill be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for scrutiny between now and then by a specially established Oireachtas Joint Committee in order to consider submissions and hold hearings that have regard in particular to:
— consideration of the medical, ethical and moral issues, as well as criminal justice and constitutional issues which arise;
— examination of the issues identified by the High Court in relation to developing and policing safeguards, which are needed to ensure that a qualifying person is not subjected to any pressure by any third parties;
— consideration of how unintended consequences that create any adverse impact on vulnerable persons could be avoided;
— consideration of the safeguards found in the regulatory regimes prevailing in jurisdictions such as Switzerland, the Netherlands and certain US states, such as Washington and Oregon, which have legislated in this area;
— consideration of what role or what legal rights a family member should have in the process and what role the legal profession or those with a function under law in supporting decision-making or making decisions on a person’s behalf should have in relation to the process; and
— consideration of any issues of a constitutional nature that might arise; and
— fully discuss and explore other practical issues and consequences that may arise as a result of the proposals, and for the Oireachtas Joint Committee duly established to publish a report setting out its recommendations, to be considered further by this House."
- (Minister for Justice and Equality).
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 65; Níl, 86; Staon, 1.
Tá
- Berry, Cathal.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanton, David.
- Varadkar, Leo.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Harkin, Marian.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Hourigan, Neasa.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lahart, John.
- Lowry, Michael.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGuinness, John.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
- Wynne, Violet-Anne.
Staon
- Troy, Robert.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Brendan Griffin and Jack Chambers; Níl, Deputies Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny.
Amendment declared lost.
Question put: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 81; Níl, 71; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Andrews, Chris.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Joan.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Harris, Simon.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Hourigan, Neasa.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Varadkar, Leo.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
- Wynne, Violet-Anne.
Níl
- Berry, Cathal.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Michael.
- Collins, Niall.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- English, Damien.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Harkin, Marian.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lowry, Michael.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Micheál.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanton, David.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Troy, Robert.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny; Níl, Deputies Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath.
Question declared carried.