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Government 'dragging its heels' on forming committee on assisted dying, says Gino Kenny

The committee to discuss the ethical and constitutional issues of assisted dying has not yet been filled with members of the Oireachtas.

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT TD Gino Kenny has expressed his frustration at the Government for delays in naming members of the Oireachtas to sit on the Special Committee on Assisted Dying.

The 15-member committee can’t meet for its purpose of examining how voluntary assisted dying would work in Ireland until all members are nominated.

It will also examine whether or not there are constitutional issues with assisted dying, alongside other legal or ethical issues.

Other provisions include identifying possible unintended consequences of assisted dying legislation.

The formation of the committee was recommended following the passage of the Dying with Dignity Bill, tabled by Kenny, in the Dáil in 2021.

The Dublin Mid-West TD has written to Dáil Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Feraghail this week asking him to accelerate the formation of the committee.

“There’s a fair bit of frustration related to the establishment of the committee,” Kenny told The Journal.

“It just seems to be that the government is dragging it heels in relation to making their nominations. Things can’t progress until the composition of government TDs and Senators are agreed to.”

Last July it was expected that the committee would be in place by October, however by the end of November only the terms of reference of the committee had been agreed to, with Kenny calling it a “long and protracted process” at the time.

Two weeks ago Michael Healy-Rae was chosen to chair the committee, but Kenny has said that aside from Sinn Féin nominating two TDs there has been no other progress.

“Deputy Healey-Rae has written to all the whips last week to say ‘what are your intentions in relation to your nominations?’ It’s just not good enough.”

“It’s very frustrating given the gravity and the seriousness of the issue. It’s time to move on and to have a national discussion about this issue.”

Kenny added that he expects the committee to run for nine months, meaning that no recommendations would be made on assisted dying until the end of this year at the earliest.

“Hopefully, some thing happens over the next week or two. I think everybody’s anxious to move things on,” he said.

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    Mute Paul Martin
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:17 PM

    Can only mean one thing, the clear blue skies are about to cloud over

    69
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    Mute Brian Geraghty
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:29 PM

    Always the way with these events!

    27
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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Apr 5th 2013, 6:47 PM

    Okay, one last time Dougal, that comet is small…

    67
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    Mute Ferg
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:39 PM

    No actually is far away… ;)

    50
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    Mute Jason Power
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    Apr 5th 2013, 6:34 PM

    Do I get a better view if i watch it from the direction of North Korea

    62
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    Mute Leonard Washington
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    Apr 5th 2013, 6:37 PM

    People could be killed and ye think nothin better than to make joke. You make me sick

    23
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    Mute Adrian Nolan
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    Apr 5th 2013, 6:38 PM

    Didn’t they claim they made it a while back?

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    Mute Bobby
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:50 PM

    NK football chant ….We will nuke you we will score we will eat your Labrador

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    Mute Ryan Doyle
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:23 PM

    always a joke with you lot

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    Mute Leonard Washington
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    Apr 5th 2013, 6:38 PM

    Hi Michelle ;-)

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    Mute Dave Connolly
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:01 PM

    David Moore and his so called Club have a cheek, is a front for his Buisness selling overpriced telescopes.

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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:17 PM

    Well he’s not forcing you to buy one

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    Mute Dave Connolly
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:33 PM

    No he is pretending its a club, he is unelected.

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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:38 PM

    Binoculars will do the job either. I’m testing my bino’s by reading this from a distance and I think you have some spelling and grammatical errors in your post. Not that it’s any of my buisness :-)

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    Mute vinny
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    Apr 5th 2013, 9:28 PM

    Fair play to him

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    Mute Cian O'Regan
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    Apr 5th 2013, 10:30 PM

    David Moore is doing a great thing for the “Community” of astronomers here in Ireland. Nice guy too!

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    Mute mikeobrien4FM
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:39 PM

    Apparently you can see Uranus too. Have to look deep though…

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    Mute WanderArch
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    Apr 5th 2013, 7:57 PM

    Hardy har har.

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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Apr 5th 2013, 8:05 PM

    Haha that is so funny ^_^

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    Mute Charles Witherspoon
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    Apr 5th 2013, 10:27 PM

    Small? That thing is so big it makes my eyes burn. Oh, never mind… The sun hasn’t set yet!

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    Mute Graham Reynolds
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    Apr 6th 2013, 2:53 AM

    Head off to bed Leonard , ur drunk mate!!!!

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    Mute Tom Keating
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    Apr 5th 2013, 9:46 PM

    It’s not there now!

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    Mute Veronica
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    Apr 6th 2013, 8:17 AM

    Actually saw this last night as i was in west cork for a few days and i live in the middle of nowhere you could say so no street lights no noise.. Was looking up and saw such a beautiful galexy and milkyway and this big bright star in the middle of it and was wondering what it was… Was so nice to see without having bincolrs or telascope… Wish i could stay in the country for so much longer as you don’t see much starlight in a city

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    Mute Emmet Walsh
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    Apr 6th 2013, 8:56 AM

    PANSTARRS, i love that show :)

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