Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Joint Committee on Health for the work it has done on this issue and Deputy Gino Kenny for introducing legislation on medicinal cannabis as it has focused minds on the issue. I agree with Deputy Kenny that if a task is onerous, it does not mean it cannot be done. It is not a question of laziness in the Civil Service or political circles. If the Bill is flawed and requires work, as Deputy Kenny has acknowledged is the case, let us do the work.

I am glad the Fianna Fáil Party will facilitate the Bill's passage to Committee Stage and, onerous or not, the necessary improvements will be made to the compassionate programme in order that people will have access to medicinal cannabis. I do not want cannabis to become available in every sweet shop for recreational use, nor is that the intention of anyone else. Cannabis clearly has a medicinal benefit in treating a variety of conditions, although I appreciate that research in this area is ongoing. In fairness to the Minister, he has tasked people with carrying out various reviews and producing proposals. Let us move this issue forward quicker. Refusing to allow the Bill to proceed to Committee Stage to allow us to try to make improvements to it, however onerous, and kicking it out on the never-never would be a betrayal of the many patients who could benefit from medicinal cannabis.

Last night, I received a text from someone who is known to me and is not a typical recreational drug user. He states he is unable to live the life he should be living, is on disability allowance and is not fit to attend college or full-time work, despite having tried to do so. If, he asks, there is a plant that can relieve his pain, why can it not be safely prescribed by his doctors who want to help. They have not been trained but want to be trained. The text, which goes into much more detail, highlights the type of people and the variety of conditions who are holding out hope that Deputies, rather than pontificating endlessly, will make an honest effort to get this Bill to Committee Stage and make the necessary changes. We must maintain the unanimity that was evident in the House on Second Stage in order that medicinal cannabis can be made available to patients who need it.

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