Mr. Eugene Lennon:

I am trying to answer that question. These consultants deal with patients and families every day.

I have spoken to a number of them about the cannabis and THC issue and they tell me the scientific papers they have read about it. The same applies for any other new treatment coming along. They inform and educate themselves about new treatments and they are anxious to find them. If new treatments are available, they will upskill for those treatments. As I noted from the earlier statement, if they are unwilling to prescribe currently, it is generally because they are not satisfied with the level of clinical evidence that is available. That is what I have to say about expertise.

The access programme is progressing and people are working on guidelines. They are also looking at guidelines that exist in other countries. I know in the past week that the people in the expert group drawing up the guidelines for clinicians and prescribers, as well as information for patients, have been looking at information from Australia, the United States, Canada and other places. They have considered the type of guidelines that would help inform the various health professionals when it comes to prescribing cannabis and dispensing and supplying cannabis-based treatments for people. We are looking at what happens abroad. I know that when the HPRA did its report, it contacted medicines agencies and experts in other countries as part of its work.

Reference was made to a survey of GPs and I understand there was a 15% response rate to the survey. The survey was probably taken before this Bill was published and before the access programme or the publication of the HPRA report. The question may not be directly relevant. Of the minority of GPs that responded, the numbers given by Deputy Boyd Barrett are accurate regarding those who said that medicinal cannabis should be available in some form. In a sense, it is. There is the option of the licence when endorsed by a consultant. There will be the option of the access programme for the three conditions initially and possibly for other conditions in future. In parallel with the access programme, the licensing option will still exist. If a consultant has a particular patient where nothing is working, based on the reading of scientific papers the consultant may believe that cannabis-based treatment may be the right option. The consultant can then apply to the Minister.