Eamon Ryan Says A Conscience Vote On Next Week’s Assisted Death Bill ‘Is A Real Possibility’

GREEN PARTY LEADER Minister Eamon Ryan has suggested that a vote of conscience within his party on next week’s assisted death bill is a “real possibility.”

The Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 seeks to legislate to allow medical professionals to help terminally ill people to end their own lives if that is their stated intention.

The bill is being introduced by MPs Gino Kenny, Mick Barry, Richard Boyd Barrett, Paul Murphy and Bríd Smith and will go before the Dáil next week.

Speaking at the Dáil this afternoon, Kenny sought Ryan’s support to allow members of the tripartite coalition to vote freely on the bill, rather than being subject to a party whip.

“Next Thursday there will be a very, very important debate in this house. The Dying with Dignity bill will be debated next Thursday and I understand that there are a variety of points of view, not only in political parties, not only in this house but in society as a whole, ”said Kenny al Dáil.

But I ask you to support a vote of conscience, not only in your own party, but also in the government parties. Because it is very, very important that there is a rational debate on this issue, which is very important for society as a whole.

In response, Ryan said it would be up to each party to decide whether there would be a vote of conscience for its members. Ryan said the government has yet to collectively discuss the bill, but suggested that his Green Party would be willing to allow a vote of conscience.

People before TD Gino Kenny earnings.

Source: Oireachtas.ie

“I am aware of the legislation and I spoke with you last week about it. It has not been discussed as a cabinet and we have not discussed it with our own party yet, but my understanding is certainly from our own party’s perspective that such flexibility or that approach is a real possibility, “he said.

It is not the norm in this house, but where there are matters of complex conscience, where there are very different opinions, that tends to be a possibility. So I certainly wouldn’t rule that out. After a discussion with our own group, we will speak to you again about what our approach is.

“As I said, it has not been discussed in the government yet, but each party would have to speak for itself in tune with the type of approach, that this is not something that we divide for party political reasons,” Ryan added.

At the Fine Gael party parliamentary meeting last night, party deputies and senators also spoke in favor of a free vote on the legislation. Others, however, expressed concern about the divergence of opinions on the issue and the intense lobbying of representatives on the matter.

Party leader Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said at the party meeting that he would be in favor of establishing a special Oireachtas Committee to examine the issue of assisted death, similar to what was done with the Eighth Amendment.

– With reporting by Christina Finn