Dr. Joan McCarthy, Lecturer Healthcare Ethics, School of Nursing and Midwifery UCC, addressing the Citizens' Assembly in Dublin on the 5th of February.

Because of her national and international expertise in healthcare ethics, Dr. Joan McCarthy was invited to address the third meeting of the Assembly held on the 4-5 February 2017 on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

The Citizens' Assembly is an exercise in deliberative democracy, placing the citizen at the heart of important legal and policy issues facing Irish society today. With the benefit of expert, impartial and factual advice the 100 citizen members are considering a number of topics including the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, Challenges and Opportunities of an Ageing Population, Manner in Which Referenda are Held, Climate Change, and any other matters that may be referred to them. Their conclusions will form the basis of a number of reports and recommendations that will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas for further debate by our elected representatives.