Joint Committee on Assisted Dying to meet on the topic of protecting autonomy and assessing decision making capacity

The following representatives are due to appear:

Dr Caroline Dalton: Director of Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Education at UCC and a member of the Healthcare Ethics and End-of-life Care Research cluster in UCC
Dr Stephen Duckworth: Academic, businessperson and social entrepreneur.
Professor Anne Doherty: Associate Professor at UCD School of Medicine, and a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist
Janie Lazar and Justin McKenna from End of Life Ireland

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Michael Healy-Rae said: “We welcome the opportunity to meet on the topic of protecting autonomy and assessing decision making capacity.”

“A recurring question this Committee has heard in legislating for assisted dying is whether safeguards can be put in place to protect vulnerable people.”

“The ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and the enactment of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015, has led to a focus on autonomy and decision-making capacity, from a societal, governmental and legislative perspective.”

“Safeguards must be in place to ensure an individual’s right to autonomy is protected, to ensure people are not excluded from a range of decision-making opportunities relating to their end-of-life care but safeguards must also be available to support those who may be vulnerable to pressure or are at risk of having their autonomy undermined in relation to assisted dying.”

Watch the meeting live on www.oireachtas.ie or the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.