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

I do not know who writes this rubbish but this answer is exactly the same as all previous answers I have received. The HPRA report was published two years ago but there is still no access programme. People are having to go abroad, break the law or use the ministerial licence system. The Minister of State made reference to the clinical guidelines which hold that the access programme will not recommend cannabis based products with THC for refractory epilepsy. There are 13 licencees at the moment, nine of whom have epilepsy. These patients are being prescribed cannabis with THC by specialist doctors. What will happen to them when and if the access programme is up and running? Will they stay in the ministerial licence system? Will they still have to go abroad and will they continue to have fears around reimbursement? This is an absolute mess. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people who could benefit from medical cannabis but this Government is denying them access because of bureaucracy. This is a question of institutionalised resistance from top to bottom.

I do not find it credible that the Department cannot find a supplier of medical cannabis for Irish patients. That is just not credible. Why was this issue not flagged a year and a half ago by the HPRA, the Department or the Minister? There is serious institutional resistance to this. The Government may have time on its hands but thousands of patients do not. They are suffering because of bureaucracy. I do not know how members of the Government can live with themselves.

If it is not possible to get the access programme up and running, the Government should revert to the Bill that I put before the House over two years ago and which garnered the support of the majority of Members of this Dáil. The Government has stalled the progress of that legislation.

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