There should be more public debate on how money is spent on caring for the terminally ill, a conference in Limerick on palliative care has heard.
According to Barbara Monroe, chief executive of St Christopher's Hospice in London, society has a responsibility to manage the care of all terminally ill patients regardless of where they are. "I think it's important that we engage the general public in a more open discussion about healthcare, and the fact that there are limited resources and how we are going to spend those resources.
"There will always be highly complicated deaths, and for these people we will always put in that extra resource, but we mustn't let that extra resource be annexed by a very small population of people."
Ms Monroe referred to a number of sections of society who were often excluded when it came to proper palliative care, including patients with mental illnesses, refugees and asylum seekers, minority ethnic groups and those living in deprived areas.
At the conference was Limerick woman Breda Murphy (50), who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease when she was 33. The mother of three has been attending the day-care centre at Milford Hospice in Limerick.
"Five years ago I suffered respiratory difficulties and was in intensive care at Limerick Regional for six weeks. I made a decision then to go into Milford Hospice. I was there for a month and since then I have had the pleasure of attending as a day patient.
"I get so much support there, Ms Murphy added, "both from the staff and other patients, many of whom have MS or cancer."