Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Let us see what the research comes back with. I acknowledge the Deputy's position and I know there are others here and around the world who share his view. I want to see what the evidence comes back with and we can then look at clinical recommendations about expanding the conditions.

Part of why it might be more limited than would have been expected is good news. Approximately 85% of the expected cost for the programme was specifically being attributed to refractory epilepsy patients. In December last year, the HSE agreed to reimburse a product called Epidiolex. It is a licensed cannabis-based medicine that the clinicians have been going for, I imagine in part because it is licensed rather than unlicensed.

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