Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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557. To ask the Minister for Health if he will intervene in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46418/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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This is clinical matter between clinician and patient and neither the Minister for Health nor the Department of Health may intervene.

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme is operated by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service of the HSE and all applications must be made directly to them.

A Consultant Neurologist / Oncologist must make an application to the PCRS to register the patient on the Cannabis for Medical Use Register. The HSE Cannabis for Medical Use Register Application form must be completed by the prescribing medical consultant and the patient/parent/guardian. Persons added to the register will be issued with a Cannabis for Medical Use Registration (CMUR) number from the HSE PCRS and this CMUR number will be provided to the prescribing consultant on the Cannabis for Medical Use Prescription Form which must be used for prescribing these products. These products cannot legally be prescribed on any other prescription form.

Any queries in relation to applications should be addressed to the HSE at the following email address: pharmacy.response@hse.ie

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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558. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the success or otherwise of an agreement (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46419/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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General Practitioners that hold GMS contracts for the provision of services to medical card and GP visit card holders, are required under their contract to make suitable arrangements for emergencies outside normal practice hours.

Over 2,500 GPs currently hold a GMS contract, and while they are not obliged to, most GPs participate in GP Out of Hours co-operatives to meet their outside of practice hours service requirements. A robust GP Out of Hours services ensures that, as much as possible, urgent care needs are met in the community and not in a hospital setting.

The ShannonDoc co-operative provides GP out of hours services for Limerick, North Tipperary and Clare. As with the other GP out of hours co-operatives, Shannondoc is a private organisation. However, the HSE provides significant funding to support out of hours co-operative services through service level agreements, with ShannonDoc having received almost exactly €5 million in HSE funding in 2022.

In relation to the specifics of the Service Level Agreement with Shannondoc, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.