The Dying with Dignity bill has been voted into committee stage

EL DÁIL HAS voted to pass the Dying with Dignity bill on the committee stage tonight.

The vote was approved by 81 votes to 71, which means that the bill will now go to committee stage.

The proposed legislation would allow assisted death in limited circumstances, allowing medical professionals to help some terminally ill patients end their own lives.

If it becomes law, Ireland will have followed a small number of countries around the world in legalizing the practice.

It’s safe to say that there will be a good debate on assisted dying after that vote.

An introduction to some of the major issues we can expect to hear about over the next several weeks and months: https: //t.co/PRgyVjJjfB

– Stephen McDermott (@Ste_McDermott) October 7, 2020

Given its purpose, the legislation on assisted death is a very sensitive subject. Many of those who support the bill are cautious about how it proceeds, while those who are against it worry about the long-term implications of introducing the bill.

Battlefields have been opened on fronts as small as the language used to describe the medical process, to ones as large as the way society treats its vulnerable citizens.

The Government had tabled an amendment to establish a special committee to examine assisted death, but it was rejected by DTs tonight (85-65), meaning the bill will be examined by one of the existing Oireachtas committees.