John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As usual, there will not be enough time. It is fascinating. I thank our three contributors. I will start where Professor Madden finished. That is something I will have to take away.

I am a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health, and paragraph 3 of Professor Madden's statement reads: "As clinicians, doctors have no unique competence in the resolution of ethical issues - medical ethics is not a matter solely within the jurisdiction of the medical profession." It adds that "the question of whether it would be lawful to provide or withhold the treatment or care is a matter for the law". We have come up against that in matters regarding termination of pregnancy, where it is the law of the land, and where there are particular issues regarding conscientious objection, etc. That has been a challenge for the State, or where there is a particular outlook in a particular care setting. I thank Professor Madden for that contribution. It is one that we are going to have to consider very closely.

My questions are going to be short, and I do not want the witnesses to feel like they are being monstered or anything like that. I will be as respectful as I can, but I would like the witnesses' responses to be short as well, if possible. Does Professor Jones think, and I am asking him a "Yes" or "No" question, that there are absolutely no conditions or circumstances in which an assisted dying or euthanasia intervention - and that is my crude language - is appropriate?