Amnesty: Advance Decisions Bill must Cover Mental Health Issues

Amnesty International welcomed the introduction of a new Bill on Friday that would provide legal protection for people to make decisions about their healthcare in advance, but added that it must be extended to cover mental health.
Amnesty: Advance Decisions Bill must Cover Mental Health Issues
Alan McDonnell
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<a><img class="size-large wp-image-1786280" title="'IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WEAKEST PEOPLE': A protester dressed up like a clown takes part in a flash mob event organised by the 'Alliance VITA' association as part of campaign in solidarity with elderly people and against euthanasia on March 24th, 2012 in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. The placard reads: 'In solidarity with the weakest people'" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/euthanasia.jpeg" alt="'IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WEAKEST PEOPLE': A protester dressed up like a clown takes part in a flash mob event organised by the 'Alliance VITA' association as part of campaign in solidarity with elderly people and against euthanasia on March 24th, 2012 in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. The placard reads: 'In solidarity with the weakest people'" width="590" height="393"/></a>
'IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WEAKEST PEOPLE': A protester dressed up like a clown takes part in a flash mob event organised by the 'Alliance VITA' association as part of campaign in solidarity with elderly people and against euthanasia on March 24th, 2012 in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. The placard reads: 'In solidarity with the weakest people'

Amnesty International welcomed the introduction of a new Bill on Friday that would provide legal protection for people to make decisions about their healthcare in advance, but added that it must be extended to cover mental health. The Advance Healthcare Decisions Bill was debated in the Dáil on Friday.

Speaking during the debate, TD for Dublin North East, Mr Terence Flanagan, referred to the fears of many who believe that the Bill could be a slippery slope leading first to the introduction of so-called ‘living wills’, and eventually to the legalisation of euthanasia. 

Alan McDonnell
Alan McDonnell
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