The Catholic bishops have dismissed recommendations by the Dáil’s Joint Committee on Assisted Dying as being in violation of “a fundamental principle of civilised society”.
The bishops said they have “little confidence” in restrictions proposed by the committee on when assisted dying might take place, and also warned the recommendations represented a grave threat to “those in our society who are most vulnerable, including people with intellectual disabilities”.
The report of the committee, published in March, recommends the Government introduce legislation allowing for assisted dying in restricted circumstances – limiting its application to those with six months to live in most instances, or 12 months where they are suffering from a neurodegenerative condition.
It also recommends that within the legislation an offence be created where someone can be found to have coerced another individual into assisted dying, and that doctors and healthcare workers involved in assisted dying be trained to identify coercion.
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In a strongly worded pastoral letter, Freedom to Live Fully, Until Death Comes, published on Monday, the bishops “totally reject” the first recommendation from the joint committee that the Government introduce legislation allowing for assisted dying “in certain restricted circumstances”.
They said that “whatever the circumstances, the deliberate taking of human life, especially by those whose vocation is to care for it, undermines a fundamental principle of civilised society, namely that no person can lawfully take the life of another”.
They had “little confidence” that proposed restrictions “would offer any real protection”.
Taking into account “what is already happening in Ireland with regard to the law on abortion, we believe that it would be only a matter of time before proposals would be on the table again to extend the availability of assisted suicide to those in our society who are most vulnerable, including people with intellectual disabilities.”
The bishops “specifically” rejected the committee recommendation that, “if assisted dying is legislated for, a doctor or nurse practitioner be present” and that they “must account to the responsible authority”.
[ Should assisted dying be legalised? Louise Campbell and Des O’Neill debateOpens in new window ]
They expressed particular concern about the committee recommendation that, when a healthcare professional refused to participate in an assisted suicide, he or she would then be required to refer that same patient on to a participating healthcare professional.
This placed them “under pressure to participate, either directly or by referral, in an act which they themselves believe to be fundamentally immoral” and reduced such healthcare professionals to “mindless functionaries”.
In allowing assisted suicide the State would also undermine “the confidence of people who are terminally ill, who want to be cared for and who want to live life as fully as possible until death naturally comes”.
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