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

I raise an issue that I have probably raised countless times in my five-and-a-half-year tenure here. It is about access to medicinal cannabis. I do not give the Taoiseach too many compliments, but I will give him one. I know he personally got involved in a number of cases in the past, which is to his credit, because this issue sometimes transcends politics. I have some good news. In the next week, three people will be registered and will get prescriptions under the medical cannabis access programme. That is very good news because that could be transformative for those three people, since they will get legal access to medical cannabis via prescription. That has been a tortuous road to get access.

That is good news.

Many of the people who contact me and others, including campaigners and families, want to know how they can get medicinal cannabis for their loved ones. I understand there are criteria in regard to the stipulations and conditions under the programme, but many people are extremely frustrated in regard to access. Some people have to go abroad and, even worse, some people have to do without. I have seen the impact on people of having to go without, in particular those whose children are in pain. It is terrible. I have also seen how this medication can be absolutely transformative for people's loved ones. I am pleading with the Taoiseach to make this programme work for the countless number of people it could benefit.

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