Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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64. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the continued requirement for children to travel to other European states to avail of medicinal cannabis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28326/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Prescribing of cannabis for medical treatment by medical consultants, for their individual patients, is facilitated via Ministerial Licence.

Irish-based medical practitioners who wish to prescribe cannabis products containing THC may apply to me as Minister for Health for a licence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. 

The CMO has advised me that the granting of such a licence will be premised on an appropriate application being submitted to the Department of Health, which is endorsed by a consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time.

Valid applications received by the Department are assessed and responded to without delay.

To date, licences have been issued for the treatment of seven separate individual patients.

Consultants or GPs requiring further information or clarification in relation to the licence application process are advised to contact the Department of Health directly.

Appropriate and affordable quality-approved medical cannabis products are not yet available in Ireland. This means that licence holders must source the products from abroad. Department officials are working intensively on finding solutions to the supply of appropriate medical cannabis products for the Irish marketplace.