Irish mental health professionals have spoken and they do not want the Government to legalise euthanasia, assisted suicide, or "assisted dying". [* See definitions below.]

Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition saying NO to any efforts to legalise euthanasia, assisted suicide, or "assisted dying" in Ireland.

This petition will  go to the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, encouraging the Government to increase palliative care resources for treating the physically unwell and to increase mental health resources for those suffering with mental health issues.

The upshot of the expert medical testimony by Ireland's mental health experts was firm opposition to the introduction of euthanasia in Ireland while, at the same time, strenuous calls for increased provision for enhanced treatment options.

Therefore, this petition will also be delivered to members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying which is due to make recommendations to the Dáil in the new year. Our hope is that their recommendations will accurately reflect the testimony given to them by Ireland's leading healthcare experts.

Here are some representative snippets of expert testimony given by Irish medical professionals who flatly rejected euthanasia, assisted suicide and assisted dying:

• Professor Siobhan MacHale, consultant liaison psychiatrist at Beaumont Hospital and College of Psychiatrists member, said of current deficiencies in the system: "The answer to this is not to end our patients’ lives," but, rather, to determine how we can improve the situation with "evidence-based interventions".
• Dr. Anne Doherty, also of the College of Psychiatrists and also a consultant liaison psychiatrist, called for "full access to adequate palliative care and mental healthcare," and concluded her statement by saying that: "It would be a travesty if assisted dying became a substitute for assistance in living."
• Dr Eric Kelleher, consultant liaison psychiatrist and a member of the College’s Human Rights and Ethics Committee, said that euthanasia and "assisted dying" formed a slippery slope, saying that if it was legalised in Ireland, it would become impossible to "limit it to just one group"; that is, it would be impossible to limit it to those suffering "terminal illness", as the definition of what that means could be changed very quickly. Also, he advised against "normalising" euthanasia and "assisted dying" as it could "expose more people to vulnerability." 
• Professor Ella Arensman, chief scientist at the National Suicide Research Foundation, said that Ireland should look closely at what has happened in other countries since they legalised euthanasia: “When we look at the evolution of the development of countries like Netherlands and Belgium, it appeared too frequently that rigorous mental health assessments were not followed through intensively with disastrous or close to disastrous outcomes."

Please SIGN and SHARE this petition and tell the leaders of FF and FG (as well as the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying) to listen to the Irish mental health professionals.

Tell them to reject euthanasia, assisted suicide and assisted dying, and, rather, to increase provision for those suffering physical and mental pain.

While this Oireachtas special committee will hear testimony in the next few days, it's not clear how much more public work they will do before drafting their reports for the Dáil and Seanad which they must deliver by March.

That's why we must act now!

In addition to the excellent testimony given by Irish mental health care professionals, there are many other good reasons for Ireland to reject assisted dying and euthanasia:

1. 'Compassion' doesn't involve killing the weakest, most vulnerable members of society. That is neither ethical nor moral.
2. The Irish Constitution mandates the state to protect human life. Already that has been tragically altered to allow abortion. We can't let this anti-life policy extend to other areas of human life that warrants our protection.
3. The Irish Association for Palliative Care stands firm: euthanasia and assisted suicide don't gel with palliative care.
4. Modern palliative care can handle even the most intense pain.
5. Just like with abortion, conscientious objection to euthanasia and assisted dying is not guaranteed to last.
6. Legal abuse of euthanasia and assisted dying is real, even acknowledged by its supporters.

But, this isn't just about policy; it's about protecting our most vulnerable and upholding the values we cherish. Imagine a world where life's value is so easily disregarded – do we really want to take that step? Let's not take this dangerous path.

Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition now.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

‘No person is an island’ – Irish psychiatrists oppose introduction of assisted dying laws - https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/no-person-is-an-island-irish-psychiatrists-oppose-introduction-of-assisted-dying-laws/a759223412.html

'Substandard end-of-life care' means assisted dying proposals are 'concerning' - https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41269327.html

Deaths by assisted dying 'more likely to be older women', committee hears - https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2023/1114/1416440-assissted-dying-committee/

Euthanasia is rejection of a fundamentally important ethical norm against intentional killing - https://gript.ie/euthanasia-is-rejection-of-a-fundamentally-important-ethical-norm-against-intentional-killing/

**Euthanasia allows an individual to gain a lethal prescription from a doctor and kill themselves. Assisted suicide, on the other hand, permits a doctor to intentionally cause the death of another person. It is done by doctors who administer a lethal drug cocktail to knowingly cause the death of another person.And, assisted dying is a slight tweak on assisted suicide, theoretically allowing only those diagnosed with a terminal illness to be killed.