Campaigners call for balanced debate on assisted suicide

Anti-euthanasia campaigners have called on Ireland’s media to avoid groupthink and follow the example of Britain’s newspapers in facilitating a relatively balanced debate on assisted suicide. 

Speaking in advance of a September 11 House of Commons debate on an assisted suicide bill being introduced by Labour MP Robert Marris, Hope Ireland director Dr Kevin Fitzpatrick told The Irish Catholic that “it is significant that some UK journalists are highlighting medical opposition to the proposed Marris Bill, and presenting balanced coverage to readers and I hope that in Ireland there will be equally an unbiased debate in the media in due course”.

While the details of Waterford independent TD John Halligan’s assisted suicide bill have not yet been made public, Dr Fitzpatrick expressed concerns about society being encouraged to see assisted suicide as an acceptable solution. 

“Politicians must not promote a culture or legal framework where disabled and vulnerable adults are made feel that they are a burden on either their families or Irish society,” he said. 

“It would be very dangerous to introduce laws based on very difficult individual circumstances. No law permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia could contain sufficient safeguards to adequately protect disabled and vulnerable adults in Irish society, particularly those who are marginalised.”

Dr Fitzpatrick’s comments have been underlined by Pro Life Campaign deputy chairperson Cora Sherlock, who told The Irish Catholic “one of the refreshing things about the debate on assisted suicide in the UK is that it can actually pass as a debate because the British media is representing both sides of the argument”.  

Contrasting this with the near unanimity of Ireland’s newspapers in their clamour for increased access to abortion, she said “we can only hope that when dealing with issues like abortion and assisted suicide in the future, the Irish media will start to realise that a fairer reflection of these important issues would ensure a far more productive debate all round”.