Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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No, by an individual Deputy. She completely misrepresented my view but that is for another day.

I would like to respond to Senator Mullen. I am a Deputy and I come from a certain political persuasion. In my eyes, everything is political. When I get up in the morning, it is political and when I go to sleep, it is political. That is just the reality of things. The reason I got involved and put the Bill forward is simple and objective. Families approached me before I became a Member to ask me if I would champion the idea of medicinal cannabis use if I was elected. I said I would and I was true to my word. When I met Vera Twomey in Leinster House last May with her husband, Paul, she outlined her circumstances and one would want to have a heart of stone not to say there is something dramatically wrong with a mother being unable to legally access medicine for her child. Surely that is immoral. I was driven by that and I will always be driven by that. For the many people who could benefit from medicinal cannabis, I will always be driven by their hidden suffering and how they could benefit. That is my bottom line in being in this building and in getting up in the morning.

I have no doubt the Bill could have a major benefit for countless people and this is my driving force. The Bill is not perfect by any means and I am the first to acknowledge that. There are many reservations about cannabis use and I am educating myself. This time last year, I had little knowledge about cannabis. What I knew about it was elementary but I have come to know the science to a limited extent and to know about the people who could benefit. Many people could benefit. I refer to the likes of Vera Twomey and the countless others who could benefit. What drives a women to talk nine days between Mallow and Dublin? It is the circumstances in which she wants to get medicine for her child. The Senator should put himself in her shoes. I would do the exact the same as Vera. You would do anything for your child. I am taking the emotion out of this and putting the politics and the science in it. People should have access in the 21st century to medicinal cannabis. Many other countries are beginning to put programmes in place. There are issues with the medical profession in this country, which is cautious. The Irish Timesreported in an article before Christmas that 56% of GPs favour medicinal cannabis use. I understand the profession is a broad church. Elements of the profession are probably completely against it, which is fair enough. Members of this committee are probably completely against it but the reason we are here is to stop the suffering of people who could benefit from medicinal cannabis. That is my sole purpose in putting this Bill forward.