Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I was not in the House for the Second Stage debate but I read the Minister of State's contributions carefully, both his introduction of the Bill and his reply to the debate. I ask him to explain the practical implications of section 4. As I understand it, the aim of the section is to transfer what were the functions of the Minister to the Irish Medicines Board, which seems like an eminently sensible thing to do. However, does the section mean that, for example, a decision to allow cannabis or heroin to be prescribed for people who are ill, will be entirely a matter for the Irish Medicines Board or will the Minister still have a reserve function in that regard? I have struggled with various elements of the legislation so I now ask the Minister of State to prove that he has done the necessary research.