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Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking at the launch

Taoiseach Enda Kenny today spoke at the launch of "Think Ahead 2", the second phase of an initiative by the Irish Hospice Foundation.

Think Ahead is a public awareness initiative aimed at guiding people in discussing and recording their care preferences in the event of an accident or other emergency, serious illness or death – when they may well be unable to speak for themselves.

The Taoiseach said:

Think Ahead is already reaching people. In the past year alone, almost 7,000 forms have been distributed across the country. I am also very pleased to hear that work is ongoing to make it suitable for use by people with dementia or intellectual disability.

This second phase has been adapted in consultation with stakeholders, medical and legal experts, and most importantly based on feedback from users who have been at the heart of this initiative from the outset.

Above all Think Ahead is empowering. Echoing the palliative approach of the Hospice movement it puts the person who is ill at the centre of operations, making sure their end-of-life care is as close to their wish as possible.

For our part in Government, as part of the overall reform of the healthcare system, we are committed to providing a framework where people’s wishes around end of life care can be met.