The Proposed Assisted Suicide / Euthanasia Bill

The proposed Dying with Dignity Bill currently under discussion in Dáil Éireann aims to address the human/ethical dilemma posed (1) by those with an incurable illness that is the immediate cause of such intense suffering that those affected want to end their pain by ending their lives and (2) by medical personnel who, moved by compassion for the suffering of the patient but unable to do anything to relieve their pain despite advances in palliative care and pain-suppressing drugs, are requested by the patient, or are so upset by the patient’s evident agony, that they are tempted to accede to the patient’s plea to end their pain.