Health Committee to conclude hearings on end of life care

Attending tomorrow’s hearings are:

Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme; Irish Association for Emergency Medicine; Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council; National Association of Healthcare Chaplains; Dr Deirdre Madden, Lecturer, UCC; Mr Bryan Nolan, The Irish Hospice Foundation; and Professor Cillian Twomey

Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “We have a long tradition of dealing sympathetically and respectfully with end of life and bereavement in this country. It is important that those approaching end of life and their families, friends and loved ones are treated with dignity and respect and are given proper care and support. Death is a fact of life, 29,000 people died in Ireland during 2012 and up to 290,000 people were coming to terms with their loss. Tomorrow, we conclude our series of hearings with groups, organisations and individuals involved in providing end of life and palliative care. We would like to thank all of those who came before the Committee over the past number of weeks. Our series of meetings and the presentations we received will allow us to consider how we currently care for those who are dying and how our health services are organised from an end of life perspective.”

The meeting will start at 9.30m in Committee Room 2, Leinster House tomorrow, Thursday, 14th November 2013 when the Committee will first debate a motion that Dail Eireann shall consider the Report of the Joint Committee on Health and Children on Organ Donation in Ireland

Committee proceedings can be followed live here.

Media Enquiries to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

Committee Membership:

Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Robert Dowds, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Mattie McGrath, Sandra McLellan, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy

Senators: Colm Burke, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry, Marc Mac Sharry and Jillian Van Turnhout