Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's letter states: "Until suitable cannabis products are made available in Ireland, it will be a matter for the presciber and their patient to source the prescribed product." We know this already. The letter also says that the Department is aware that "a Canadian company is in discussions with an Irish-based distributor to supply their products to the Irish market". It adds that "no further details are available on the date of availability of these cannabis products and no import licence application has yet been sought by the Irish distributor to bring these products into the country". The Minister signed the letter but the person who wrote it knows full well why an import licence application has not been made. This company supplies all of Europe and the bottom line is that someone needs to get moving on this. Having officials go to Denmark and elsewhere is simply going off in new directions. We are two years on from the initial promise. The Government must remember that many in this House co-operated constructively with the Minister for Health on this issue. The agreed approach was to set up a medicinal cannabis access scheme but progress has been too slow. This issue can be resolved. The product can be made available in Ireland early next year if a push is made. There has been an institutional resistance to this in certain areas. There has also been a cultural issue among some medical professionals. I understand the concept of a clinical, evidence based approach and the importance of clinical trials.

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