Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have little to add to what the Minister has already stated. I know that the private Members' Bill will be examined by the committee in November. It will also be examined by the Department of Health and the Department of Justice. This does not concern the medical use of cannabis, but during the week I launched a report on the prevalence of drug use and gambling in Ireland, including Northern Ireland and the Republic. As part of the overall picture of illegal drug use in Ireland, cannabis has one of the highest rates of use among all different ages, from age 15 to 65 plus. There is a huge emphasis on how we deal with the use of cannabis in the country. Once the Department of Health and others have examined the Bill, we will need to take some kind of proper action if certain reasons are identified for the use of medical cannabis in the long run. It is one of the most prevalent drugs throughout the country.