Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First, I commend Deputy Gino Kenny for bringing this Bill. It gives each of us a great opportunity. I have listened to the speakers and, despite what people think, we are human beings, we have feelings and we take matters on board. We are well aware of what is happening outside the House. This is a clean and fair debate. When Deputy Harty spoke earlier I looked at the opening line of my remarks. It states simply that the policy of a Government should be to do the most good while doing the least harm. We can tweak things but once the legislation passes this Stage there will be genuine consensus to do the right thing.

There has been a wide range of debate both here and across the world in recent years on cannabis. There is a great variance of opinions. In this case, however, there is little room for debate. The evidence is quite clear that in some cases cannabis can and should be prescribed to relieve debilitating symptoms of life limiting conditions. Medicinal cannabis use, where deemed appropriate by a doctor and their patient, can have a profoundly positive effect, with no more severe potential for harm than that posed by any prescription drug currently available. I am not a scientist or a doctor but I have read many of the conclusions and I have spoken to many people about this. It is clear that we must move this issue forward to the next phase. We are talking about Sativex spray and CBD oil, which contain low-THC, the psychoactive ingredient in recreational cannabis. These medicinal products have been proven to improve the quality of life dramatically for people suffering from conditions such as MS or Dravet syndrome. In fact, in the case of Dravet syndrome it offers the potential to be life saving, given the severity and regularity of seizures related to that condition.

I have spoken many times to Vera Twomey about her daughter Ava, who suffers greatly with Dravet syndrome. One must pay tribute to the family and their relations. Perhaps Vera might consider running for President some day. One never knows. I am a parent, and parents take solace from people as well. It makes me angry and distraught at times to consider the position Vera is in at present. If it was me in the same position, I would do the same thing. I would fight to the bitter end for my child. That is what parents do. No parent should have to beg for their child's life. In 2016, are we at a stage where parents must come here and beg for their child's life? That is very hard.

We must do the right thing. We have a fantastic and amazing opportunity to improve the lives of many people on this island dramatically, including little Ava's. All of us have a responsibility to do this and I hope we will take it. For that reason I and Sinn Féin support this Bill.

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