Euthanasia 'by back door' feared

There is a danger that euthanasia could be introduced into Ireland through the back door as attitudes towards assisted suicide become more liberal, Fine Gael TD Dan Neville said yesterday.

Mr Neville, who is president of the Irish Association of Suicidology, said it was a matter of time before the Irish courts were faced with a decision to adjudicate on a request for permission from a person to take his or her own life.

"In recent years, international opinion regarding euthanasia in cases of serious physical illness has become more liberal. What is the situation in Ireland? Has a person the right to end their life in such circumstances? Is the person who assists guilty of murder? Will they be charged in court?" he said.

"Apart from the serious moral and ethical principles involved, there are serious societal reasons for disallowing euthanasia. The main reason is the fear of developing a 'slippery slope' whereby if euthanasia becomes acceptable under any circumstances, the boundaries of what is considered lawful killing would be stretched even wider. This has happened elsewhere."

The issue of euthanasia may be heard in an Irish court shortly. A US religious minister who admitted helping with the suicide of a Dublin woman has been arrested and held in custody on foot of an Irish extradition warrant. George Exoo is wanted in Ireland after admitting he assisted in the suicide of Rosemary Toole-Gilhooley (49) at her Donnybrook home in 2002.

Laws introduced in Ireland in 1993 criminalised assisted suicide. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable to imprisonment for a term of up to 14 years. However, Mr Neville said it was inevitable that pressure will come on how to interpret or change these laws.

He pointed to the Netherlands, which in recent years decriminalised euthanasia and assisted suicide in circumstances where it is carried out by a physician and certain criteria of due care have been fulfilled.

The country has tolerated the practice unofficially for decades, but parliament enshrined it in law in 2002.

The legal regime in the Netherlands also allows for the termination of the life of minors. Children of 16 and 17, in principle, make their own decision. Their parents must however be involved in this. For children aged 12 to 16, the approval of parents or a guardian is required.

A number of cases since this law was introduced have blurred the line between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, he said, such as people with mental handicaps or dementia.

"The acid test for our society is how it protects life in a way that promotes the well-being of its most vulnerable citizens, the very young, the very old, the chronically ill, those with severe disability etc. We as a nation must never in any way compromise this," Mr Neville said.