Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister has made the moneys available. It is there now. I am talking about the Twomey family because I know Ms Twomey well. I have been in her house and have seen the way Ava has responded to medicinal cannabis and Bedrocan. Families such as the Twomeys and others have a worry every three months in terms of coming up with the €9,500. All they are asking for is a level playing field and for the Minister to give them an assurance the €9,500 has stopped and there is no more of that kind of pressure. It is enough having a child sick, like Ava was. We all know the case. I walked to Dublin with Vera. I saw the pressure she was under and saw her raising the issues.

It is about going from 30, 40 or 50 attacks per day down to one or two per week and seeing that child being able to go to mainstream school. I know the Minister is new to it, but the previous Government and Ministers have dragged their heels on it. I am asking the Minister to give assurance to those families that, from now on, there is no more having to worry about €9,500 being there every three months to access Bedrocan.

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