Helping someone to die with dignity is worth going to jail over, a former TD and Junior Minister for Waterford has said.
John Halligan has called on politicians to finish the work he started on a bill to decriminalise assisted suicide in certain cases.
He introduced the Dying with Dignity Bill in 2015 but was no longer able to move his own Private Member's Bill once he became a junior minister in 2016.
Spoke to Damien Tiernan on Deise Today, he said people who want to fight to the end should be given all the help they can get, but there are some people "who say I have had enough..I'm not able to do this any more and I'm going to die anyway and these people should be helped".
The former Independent Alliance TD says he has helped people find information about travelling to Switzerland to access assisted suicide, and would provide financial assistance if asked:
"No question about that, even though it is illegal I wouldn't care, I believe so fervently in it."
When asked if he would go to jail, Mr Halligan said if he had to, he would stand on his principles "100 percent".
He further added that he doesn't believe new legislation in this area would be abused that appropriate safeguards can be put in place
