Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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570. To ask the Minister for Health the funding provided to the medicinal cannabis access programme to date in 2021. [34051/21]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to include additional diagnosis in the medicinal cannabis access programme. [34052/21]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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572. To ask the Minister for Health when a review will be undertaken on the current diagnosis and medicines available under the medicinal cannabis access programme. [34053/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 571 and 572 together.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority’s “Cannabis for Medical Review Use – A Scientific Review” advised that treatment with cannabis is only permitted under a controlled access programme for the treatment of patients with;

a. Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions whilst under expert medical supervision;

b. Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes whilst under expert medical supervision;

c. Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications whilst under expert medical supervision.

The HPRA did not consider that the available evidence supported the use of cannabis in other medical conditions.

The programme has been included in the HSE Service Plan for 2021, will operate on a five-year pilot basis with a centralised data collection point and regular reports to the Department of Health. This information will provide data on the medical use of cannabis and the supply needs in Ireland.

The decision to initiate a review of the programme will be considered after the commencement of the programme.