THE DÁIL HAS voted to pass the Dying with Dignity Bill to committee stage this evening. 

The vote was passed by 81 votes to 71 meaning the bill will now proceed to committee stage. 

The proposed legislation would permit assisted dying in limited circumstances, allowing medical professionals to help some terminally ill patients to end their own lives.

If it becomes law, Ireland will have followed a small number of countries around the world in legalising the practice.

Safe to say there's gonna be a fair bit of debate about assisted dying after that vote.

A primer on some of the main issues we can expect to hear about over the coming weeks and months:https://t.co/PRgyVjJjfB

— Stephen McDermott (@Ste_McDermott) October 7, 2020

Given its purpose, assisted dying legislation is a highly sensitive subject. Many of those who support the bill are cautious about how it proceeds, while those against it worry about the longer-term implications of bringing in such a law.

Battlegrounds have opened up on fronts as small as the language used to describe the medical process, to ones as big as how society treats its vulnerable citizens.

The Government had tabled an amendment to establish a special committee to examine assisted dying but was voted down by TDs this evening (85 to 65) meaning the bill will be examined by one of the existing Oireachtas committees.