Assisted suicide opposed by palliative care movement

Assisted suicide opposed by palliative care movement

Euthanasia is “anathema” to the palliative care movement according to the chief executive of the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF)

Speaking before an IHF forum which ran from Tuesday to Wednesday this week, Sharon Foley said she could not see assisted suicide happening in Irish hospices.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Ms Foley said: “The palliative care movement has come from a movement of dignity and comforting people at the end of life. So it is anathema to them to be any way cutting across that.”

She said People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny’s rejected ‘Dying With Dignity Bill’, which aimed to legalise euthanasia, had “so many holes” and that before any new legislation is brought to the Oireachtas there should be “very full, inclusive and thoughtful debate around assisted dying”.

“Our feeling on the bill is that despite its coming from very well-intentioned people, it was a rushed process… There are lots of bits missing, that haven’t been considered… It’s such an impactful area of our lives and the Irish people deserve that very inclusive, considered debate,” Ms Foley said.

“Just as there has been a huge push in recent years to improve the experience of childbirth, safety around childbirth, it is the same around end of life. More can be done to enable people to die well, die at home, die with dignity.”