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Cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan asks for politicians to be given a free vote on the Bill. Christina Finn

'What I am asking is to be given a choice': Vicky Phelan urges politicians to support Dying with Dignity Bill

The Dying with Dignity Bill will be introduced in the Dáil tomorrow.

CERVICALCHECK CAMPAIGNER Vicky Phelan has appealed to all TDs in the Dáil to support a Bill seeking to allow terminally ill people to end their own lives.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny called for support for the Dying with Dignity Bill which will be introduced in the Dáil tomorrow.

Kenny was joined by Phelan outside the gates of Leinster House today, where they asked for a free vote to be given to politicians on the issue. 

Tom Curran – husband of the late Marie Fleming, who took a Supreme Court case seeking to be allowed an assisted suicide – as well as Gail O’Rourke, who was acquitted of helping her friend end her own life, also attended today’s press conference.

“I would ask all of them, all 160 TDs to put their opinions to one side and try to put themselves in my shoes, as a young mother with young children.

“Palliative care does not always work. I have seen a number of people over the past two-and-a-half years who have died in a hospice.

“It is great when it works but there are times when it doesn’t when there is a certain amount of suffering that no amount of pain management can get on top of. I don’t want my children to see me like that,” Phelan said.

“What I am asking is to be given a choice, that is what I am asking from TDs. If they can, to have a free vote, this is an issue of conscience.” 

She is supporting the Bill, as she believes there are lots of safeguards in place and the legislation is only for people with a terminal illness, she said.

Becoming emotional, Curran spoke about his late wife Marie and her fight to have the choice to end her life.

Fleming lost her Supreme Court appeal to establish a constitutional right to die in April 2013. She died eights months later, aged 59.

Curran said he helped draft a previous Bill on the same issue, which was brought forward by TD John Halligan in 2015.

Speaking to reporters, Curran said people should be given the freedom to choose how to end their lives when they are terminally ill.

Some TDs who were in opposition and now in power have been supportive in the past of proposed legislation, he said, as he appealed to them to support the Bill.

“In our compassionate Ireland we still insist that some people, often against their express wishes, have a prolonged and sometimes painful end of life.

“Even the Supreme Court of Ireland agreed that if it was in their power to grant this right to Marie they would but if this is a right that should have been available to one person then it should be available to every other person who finds themselves in similar circumstances,” he added.

Kenny said a Citizens’ Assembly on the issue would only “kick the can” down the road. He said TDs are elected to pass legislation, stating that party politics should be put aside when discussing this issue. 

Labour’s Alan Kelly said his party would be supporting the Bill. Sinn Féin is meeting later today to decide if it will back the proposed legislation.

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    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:41 PM

    I am with her ! I have seen two beloved members of my family dying in painful agony, despite the assistance of modern day medicine . I would not want that for myself or my own family if I became terminally ill . I would want to die with dignity and spare my children the pain of watching me knowing they could not change the outcome . My body ! My Life !!!

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    Mute Barry
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:42 PM

    This is something that certainly need to change, when it comes to terminal cases we treat animals better then we treat our own friends and neighbours.

    Everyone deserves the right to die with dignity.

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    Mute Gordon Walsh
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    Sep 14th 2020, 11:44 PM

    @Barry: it’s not just terminal conditions, people put their beloved pets down when their quality of life has deteriorated to the point that all that remains is a painful existence. Frankly I’d like to be able to make the same choice for myself.

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    Mute nazi killer
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:39 PM

    Ciky thank you so much for throwing your weight behind this bill. We all deserve the right to die with dignity.

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    Mute nazi killer
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:39 PM

    @nazi killer: *Vicky – apologies!

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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:38 PM

    I agree I hoped Marie and Tom would get this in place while she was still alive. These people deserve to end life on their own terms.

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    Mute sandra clifford
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:56 PM

    I’m with Vicky as I watched my mother waste away with MND her last 6 months of life were horrendous

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    Mute nazi killer
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:10 PM

    @sandra clifford: so sorry for your loss especially in those circumstances

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    Mute sandra clifford
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:26 PM

    @nazi killer: thanks its still very raw as she only died 3 weeks ago

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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:37 PM

    @sandra clifford: My condolences to you and your family Sandra.

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    Mute DeWitt
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:40 PM

    @sandra clifford: very sorry for your loss

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    Mute Felicity Hensen
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    Sep 14th 2020, 5:31 PM

    @sandra clifford: Sandra, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. I hope you and your family have the space to grieve and process everything.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 14th 2020, 6:08 PM

    @sandra clifford: So sorry for your loss. I agree with you.

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    Mute Layla Moroney
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    Sep 14th 2020, 11:49 PM

    @sandra clifford: sorry for your loss

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    Mute Nioe
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    Sep 14th 2020, 3:49 PM

    Tricky topic. My 2 cents are that it risks pressurising highly dependent people into ending their lives for the good of their relatives, rather than ‘being a burden’.

    How would life assurance work ?

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    Mute Barry
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:03 PM

    @Nioe: there are numerous checks in place, you’ve only to look at the Netherlands.

    It’s certainly not as simple as I want to end it… Here’s the drugs to do it.

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    Mute Damien Hawe
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:04 PM

    @Nioe: That’s definitely something that needs to be taken into account but surely in situations like that you could have a panel of maybe 3 or 5 doctors to assess each case with a majority needed? Legislation would probably need to be brought in to stop companies paying out in those sorts of cases but from a moral point of view there should be no reason to prevent somebody from choosing when and how they die when the alternative is a long drawn out death with no quality of life and in some cases them not even knowing where or who they are. Keeping somebody alive like that does nothing for the person.

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    Mute Sean Oige
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    Sep 14th 2020, 5:40 PM

    @Nioe: life insurance typically pays out when you are diagnosed as terminal to allow your affairs to be put in order. It’s not always dependent on your death.

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    Mute chiqey
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:48 PM

    Sometimes life can be worse than death – it’s time to really deal with this issue

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Sep 14th 2020, 7:28 PM

    @chiqey: How do you know? Have you ever been dead?

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    Mute Tony Ember
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    Sep 14th 2020, 8:24 PM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: it means the pain of living is worse than the pain of dieing without hope of change

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    Mute ruairi
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    Sep 14th 2020, 5:01 PM

    It’s hard to objectively critise the case for and against euthanasia as it is a most emotive of issues. If you’ve watched a loved one waste away from cancer, it’s difficult to argue against. When you study Dutch and Belgian euthanasia laws it’s astonishing that assisted suicide is granted for physciatric illness; it seems counterintuitive to make suicide an option in those cases. There is an excellent VICE documentary that explores both sides of the debate and an Economist documentary that paints Belgium’s laws in a very poor light. Let’s hope religious and cultural extremism can stay out of the national conversation for as long as possible.
    https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/right-to-die-1-10/5786c518914084e32a41b551

    https://youtu.be/SWWkUzkfJ4M

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    Mute Coole Swan
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    Sep 14th 2020, 5:01 PM

    It is certainly very worrying for anyone with cancer when Vicky says,”palliative care does not work for everyone”.
    She continues there is a certain amount of suffering that no amount of pain management can get on top of. Clear examples needed here & evidence for cancer patients.

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    Mute Felicity Hensen
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    Sep 14th 2020, 5:37 PM

    @Coole Swan: Clear examples of the devastation of cancer, especially near the person’s passing, is widely available. As are examples of multitudes of diseases and illnesses that lead to death. All that is being asked, is that when a person recieves a terminal diagnosis, they are able to discuss end-of-life options. We keep people who are dying dosed up on pain medication until their body gives up. It is unbelievably cruel.

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    Mute Coole Swan
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    Sep 14th 2020, 6:05 PM

    @Felicity Hensen: your point is separate. the devastation of cancer is not my issue. Know all about that.

    Palliative does not work for everyone she says. Can she support this with evidence?

    Phelan says” there is a certain amount of suffering that no amount of pain management can get on top of”. Support this with examples she has seen. She saw ppl who died in the hospice in last 2 & half years. What suffering did she see that could not be controlled????
    Vital to answer this.

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    Mute Lorraine Mac Rory
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    Sep 15th 2020, 12:11 AM

    @Coole Swan: I have chronic pain. no pain medication (anti inflammatories or opiates) has yet been able to control the pain. I have recently seen a pain specialist and put on 3 prescription medications specific to neurological pain. They haven’t entirely gotten rid of the pain but I can function. They have unpleasant side effects including I feel a constant burning in my muscles. Being in constant pain is very tiring. side effects are tiring. I imagine people with fatal neurological conditions or final stage cancer are in a much worse state than me. if I can’t get complete pain relief without side effects that would prevent me functioning then I can easily imagine they can be given enough pain relief to be barely conscious and still be in pain. Barely conscious and still in pain…..

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    Mute Coole Swan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 12:58 AM

    @Lorraine Mac Rory: what are you diagnosed with?

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    Mute Lorraine Mac Rory
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    Sep 16th 2020, 12:08 AM

    @Coole Swan: why does it matter? GP, 2 orthopedic specialists, acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, pilates, OTC pain medications, prescription opiates & anti inflammatories…… none have “fixed” me or left me pain free for any length of time. and I’m not even disabled. I’m a mother of a young child and a teacher. There are plenty of people in worse condition than me. Autoimmune conditions, damaged joints and muscles, neurological conditions… all can cause very difficult to manage chronic pain. I can only imagine the acute pain that could be suffered by people in the final stages of dying from a fatal disease. Pain relief has side effects and doctors have a limit to how much pain relief they are allowed to prescribe even when it’s clear a person needs more

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    Mute Coole Swan
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    Sep 16th 2020, 10:20 PM

    @Lorraine Mac Rory: firstly I find it interesting & I like to understand.
    Sounds awful, don’t know how you manage with chronic pain. Hope you find a permanent solution.
    I was quite alarmed reading that palliative does not work for everyone in the context of cancer. I had not considered any other illnesses in this instance.
    Mind yourself.

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    Mute DeWitt
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    Sep 14th 2020, 4:39 PM

    I think the government should follow the way the abortion referendum was conducted. There are good points on both sides of the argument that are worth considering. I totally agree with Vicki’s right to choose, but what about people that don’t have her mental strength and capacity.

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    Mute Gordon Walsh
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    Sep 14th 2020, 11:47 PM

    @DeWitt: well people lacking sufficient mental strength and capacity tend not to be capable of making difficult choices so guess nothing will change for them or are you implying that their choice will be made for them?

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    Mute Coole Swan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:39 AM

    @Gordon Walsh: one is Dying with Dignity the other method is not so dignified.

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    Mute MentalAsAnything
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    Sep 14th 2020, 7:44 PM

    Disgusting. They successfully got the laws in place to murder the unborn. Now they want to do the same to the old and frail

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    Mute ihcalaM
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    Sep 14th 2020, 8:00 PM

    @MentalAsAnything: Your username fits

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    Mute DeWitt
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    Sep 14th 2020, 9:32 PM

    @MentalAsAnything: unpalatable but true

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    Mute Lorraine Mac Rory
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    Sep 15th 2020, 12:12 AM

    @MentalAsAnything: it’s called valuing the alleviation of suffering more than life itself

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Sep 15th 2020, 9:23 AM

    @DeWitt: Away with you, troll

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    Mute Condorcanqui
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    Sep 17th 2020, 11:13 AM

    @ihcalaM: Yep. The first dissenting voice gets abuse! So much for a balanced discussion is needed on this.

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    Mute Stephen Deegan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:56 AM

    They’ll have to blow the dust off John Waters now. There’s nobody else to argue against assisted suicide. Poor old Gemma is silenced.

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    Mute MentalAsAnything
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    Sep 15th 2020, 12:03 PM

    @Stephen Deegan: The only good thing about John Waters

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