Lancaster University Professor advises Irish parliament on assisted dying

Lancaster University Professor Nancy Preston has given evidence before the Irish Parliament’s Joint Committee on Assisted Dying.

The Committee was established last year to consider and make recommendations for legislative and policy change related to a statutory right to assist individuals to end their life and a statutory right to receive such assistance.

Nancy Preston, who is Professor of Supportive and Palliative Care at the International Observatory on End of Life Care, attended a meeting of the Committee on January 30 to discuss examining a system for assisted dying and alternative policies. She was also questioned by Members of the Irish Parliament.

She said: “It is so important that we use as much evidence as possible to inform these decisions. We have conducted research in the Netherlands, Switzerland and US exploring the experiences of families and health care workers. The committee will be able to consider this in their deliberations on such an important topic. ”

Michael Healy-Rae, the Cathaoirleach or Chair of the Committee on Assisted Dying, said: “When you’re dealing with the death and the dignity and the passing from this world of people who are at various stages of illness for example, the task that this committee has been charged with is to look at that whole issue and to bring in expert witnesses nationally and internationally.”

The Joint Committee's work may include an exploration of how provision for assisted dying might operate in Ireland; an examination of safeguards relating to the provision for assisted dying; an examination of the constitutional, legal and ethical issues relating to such a provision; and identification of possible unintended consequences of such a provision.