The past decade has been defined by truly historic and significant social progress, enabling Ireland to break with out-of-date preconceived ideals and emerge as one of Europe’s most inclusive societies.
The nature of a government-promoted commitment to socially reformative policies is that there is a constant necessity that the electorate confronts and considers fundamental moral questions relating to our Constitution.
Over the past eight years, since the ascent of Fine Gael to government, either in coalition with Labour or in a minority government, the ability of the party to be fiscally responsible and return Ireland to economic stability and growth has been a more subdued feature of its governance.
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Instead, delivering referendums on marriage equality and abortion – which have exhibited an overwhelming and relatively universal desire across the country to create an open and progressive, modern Ireland – will be its most pivotal and lasting legacy.
With regard to this, I fully expect without question that, within the next 10 years, the Government will take a further step forward into the 21st century and facilitate a referendum on the legalisation of euthanasia for patients diagnosed with terminal or regressive incurable illness.
In passing a referendum of such a nature, Ireland would join its European Union counterparts, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, where varying procedures have been legalised.
The approval to establish a government-supported euthanasia programme would require people across Ireland to carefully consider the question and more profoundly its impact on patients who understand the terminal or incurable nature of their illness, and wish to bring their lives to an end with peace, dignity and respect in medically supervised circumstances.
The ability of patients who meet a medically agreed criteria, fully desire and can consciously consent to access euthanasia is a human right.
Cillian Boggan
Wexford town
Trump should be indicted for murder of Soleimani
Further to Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob (Letters, January 6), Donald Trump should be indicted at The Hague for the murder of Qasem Soleimani.
US troops – and Britain’s – have no business in Iraq. Britain and America interfered in the Gulf, Iran, Syria, Libya and betrayed the Palestinians. The Muslim world should unite as one and stand up to the likes of Trump.
As the British Empire’s former ‘subjects’ – including Ireland – have experienced, Britain, then America, ruthlessly subjugated and exploited innocent people.
The US should hand back Guantanamo Bay to Cuba and my country, Britain, should stop kowtowing to Trump’s fascist administration.
George W Bush and Tony Blair, too, should be tried as war criminals over Iraq.
Dominic Shelmerdine
London, UK
Desperate leaders take desperate measures
Desmond Fitzgerald, and Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob (Irish Independent, January 6) highlight the imminent dangers of a war in the Middle East – a war that could be walked into by a simple error.
Alas, as with the rush to wage war on Iraq by the “Christian Horsemen”, George W Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard, those currently in power still remain as ignorant as the former of the ‘many tribes’ in the Middle East.
The Ottoman rulers kept the peace in the Middle East for centuries, until its destruction by the 1915 Sykes-Picot agreement of Britain and France. Sykes-Picot made things worse by forcibly dividing the tribes, the Islamic sects and the nations they belonged to.
Current world leaders include Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison here in Australia – three men who, when they become desperate, will opt for danger merely to protect their selfish interests. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is another man too many are overlooking.
At least Johnson is not in the sway of evangelists who imagine they alone have the God-given right to decide the fate of the world as they impatiently await the Second Coming.
The time for strong leadership, devoid of personal politics, is now a necessity, at least in Europe.
Declan Foley
Berwick, Australia
Co Kerry has become the Kingdom of the Healy-Raes
I was years ahead of Billy Keane’s seer. Shortly after the last general election I predicted, in a letter to this paper, that after the next election every seat in Co Kerry would be held by a Healy-Rae.
Mattie Lennon
Blessington, Co Wicklow
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Letters to the Editor: 'Delivering a referendum on euthanasia is next priority'
Letters to the Editor: 'Delivering a referendum on euthanasia is next priority'
The past decade has been defined by truly historic and significant social progress, enabling Ireland to break with out-of-date preconceived ideals and emerge as one of Europe’s most inclusive societies.
The nature of a government-promoted commitment to socially reformative policies is that there is a constant necessity that the electorate confronts and considers fundamental moral questions relating to our Constitution.
Over the past eight years, since the ascent of Fine Gael to government, either in coalition with Labour or in a minority government, the ability of the party to be fiscally responsible and return Ireland to economic stability and growth has been a more subdued feature of its governance.
Please log in or register with Independent.ie for free access to this article.
Log In
New to Independent.ie? Create an account
Instead, delivering referendums on marriage equality and abortion – which have exhibited an overwhelming and relatively universal desire across the country to create an open and progressive, modern Ireland – will be its most pivotal and lasting legacy.
With regard to this, I fully expect without question that, within the next 10 years, the Government will take a further step forward into the 21st century and facilitate a referendum on the legalisation of euthanasia for patients diagnosed with terminal or regressive incurable illness.
In passing a referendum of such a nature, Ireland would join its European Union counterparts, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, where varying procedures have been legalised.
The approval to establish a government-supported euthanasia programme would require people across Ireland to carefully consider the question and more profoundly its impact on patients who understand the terminal or incurable nature of their illness, and wish to bring their lives to an end with peace, dignity and respect in medically supervised circumstances.
The ability of patients who meet a medically agreed criteria, fully desire and can consciously consent to access euthanasia is a human right.
Cillian Boggan
Wexford town
Trump should be indicted for murder of Soleimani
Further to Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob (Letters, January 6), Donald Trump should be indicted at The Hague for the murder of Qasem Soleimani.
US troops – and Britain’s – have no business in Iraq. Britain and America interfered in the Gulf, Iran, Syria, Libya and betrayed the Palestinians. The Muslim world should unite as one and stand up to the likes of Trump.
As the British Empire’s former ‘subjects’ – including Ireland – have experienced, Britain, then America, ruthlessly subjugated and exploited innocent people.
The US should hand back Guantanamo Bay to Cuba and my country, Britain, should stop kowtowing to Trump’s fascist administration.
George W Bush and Tony Blair, too, should be tried as war criminals over Iraq.
Dominic Shelmerdine
London, UK
Desperate leaders take desperate measures
Desmond Fitzgerald, and Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob (Irish Independent, January 6) highlight the imminent dangers of a war in the Middle East – a war that could be walked into by a simple error.
Alas, as with the rush to wage war on Iraq by the “Christian Horsemen”, George W Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard, those currently in power still remain as ignorant as the former of the ‘many tribes’ in the Middle East.
The Ottoman rulers kept the peace in the Middle East for centuries, until its destruction by the 1915 Sykes-Picot agreement of Britain and France. Sykes-Picot made things worse by forcibly dividing the tribes, the Islamic sects and the nations they belonged to.
Current world leaders include Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison here in Australia – three men who, when they become desperate, will opt for danger merely to protect their selfish interests. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is another man too many are overlooking.
At least Johnson is not in the sway of evangelists who imagine they alone have the God-given right to decide the fate of the world as they impatiently await the Second Coming.
The time for strong leadership, devoid of personal politics, is now a necessity, at least in Europe.
Declan Foley
Berwick, Australia
Co Kerry has become the Kingdom of the Healy-Raes
I was years ahead of Billy Keane’s seer. Shortly after the last general election I predicted, in a letter to this paper, that after the next election every seat in Co Kerry would be held by a Healy-Rae.
Mattie Lennon
Blessington, Co Wicklow
Source: Read Full Article