Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking the question. The Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, recently met the parents of Ava Barry and called for a review of cannabis-based medicines. Sativex is a cannabis-based product which was approved in 2014 but is still not available to multiple sclerosis sufferers. I understand the Minister's hands are tied, up to a point, by the existing law. The Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 will deal with the long-term effects of the grey area of cannabis-based products. In the short term, I will try to untie the Minister's hands by asking him to facilitate compassionate access under the exempt medicinal products statutory instruments and any other means at his disposal, particularly in the cases of Ava Barry and Ronan Gaynor.

Ava is a beautiful six year old child who has Dravet syndrome, which involves intractable epilepsy, often with dozens of seizures a day. The condition is known to respond well to cannabis-based products. Ronan Gaynor is a four year old boy with a very rare form of brain tumour called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. It is a very rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, involving severe pain and distress. It responds to cannabis-based products. If a recognised doctor writes to the Minister on behalf of Ava and Ronan to apply for permission to prescribe cannabis-based medicines, will the Minister consider the doctor's application and ensure these children gain access to the cannabis-based medicines which they medically need?

I note the report by Professor Michael Barnes.

It was the unanimous view that medical cannabis has huge medical benefits for a range of illnesses. We need to step into the 21st century in this country. Children like Ava and Ronan are at an extremely difficult point in their short lives, as are their parents. These products can help. The research and data are available and we need to import these products under the guidance of a doctor to help these children. I plead with the Minister of State because I am the voice of those children and their parents in the House today. Will he help these children?

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