Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I went to the Joint Committee on Health with an open mind. We facilitated pre-legislative scrutiny when we discussed the Bill in the Dáil previously. We intend to look at the option of allowing it to go to Committee Stage again. However, there is no point in saying otherwise. The Bill, as drafted, is seriously flawed. This was highlighted in the discussions during pre-legislative scrutiny. The Joint Committee on Health has overwhelmingly rejected the Bill in terms of its suitability for Committee Stage.

I have listened to what has been said by the sponsors. I hope they put on the record a willingness to accept the flaws highlighted in the pre-legislative scrutiny process. There may need to be substantial amendments. I hope all parties embrace this issue to ascertain whether we can produce meaningful legislation that will allow for access to medicinal cannabis in limited circumstances.

It is easy to make sweeping statements in the House setting out the pros of cannabis and claiming it is all good but it is a psychoactive drug which has highly damaging consequences for health. Benzodiazepines may be legal medicines that are prescribed daily but they have catastrophic effects on people. Just because a drug is prescribed does not mean it will always have only positive effects. We must tread carefully on this issue.

As I stated, Fianna Fáil is willing to facilitate the Bill's passage to Committee State to enable a discussion to take place on how we can progress it in such as a way as to ensure the intentions outlined by the sponsors are realised. We must not have cannabis becoming freely available, through prescription, to people other than those who need it for the reasons set out by the Minister in his access programme. The programme is excessively restrictive, however. It is appropriate that the Minister acts on the advice of the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, on this issue but we must consider how the programme can be opened up, through consultants and the HPRA, to help people access it on a controlled basis. As drafted, the Bill is deeply flawed. I hope Deputies accept that and that if it proceeds to Committee Stage, it will be embraced in a non-partisan manner.

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