Anybody who attended the briefing in the AV Room yesterday with Vera Twomey and John O'Meara, whose children require medicinal cannabis, could not but have been moved into immediate action to help them and the thousands of other families who urgently require access to medicinal cannabis. Deputy Gino Kenny has a Bill before the Dáil which seeks to legalise cannabis for medicinal use. We had the support of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to have that Bill taken in the House next Thursday but, unfortunately, it was blocked by everybody else on a procedural basis and the Bill will not now come before the Dáil until 16 December. The Government Whip indicated to us this morning that the Minister for Health is awaiting a report from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes but the Minister did not inform the Whip until after the meeting with the families that this report will not be available until the end of January 2017.

The Deputy's time has expired.

Why is this report required? What are its terms of reference and is it possible for it to be made available earlier than the end of January next? I think 12 weeks is sufficient time within which to produce a report on an issue in respect of which we are not seeking to re-invent the wheel. What is proposed has been tried and tested in other countries and it is urgently required here to relieve the pain and suffering of these people.

Deputy Bríd Smith will be aware that the Minister for Health is very alert to the situation facing the family and that he has met with them. The Minister has commissioned a report on the issue, the timeframe for completion of which is, I understand, January.

The end of January.

The Deputy will no doubt agree that it is reasonable that the Department of Health would have an opportunity to analyse the various issues which will be applicable to the family concerned and to others. The Minister has indicated that he needs sight of this report before he can advance the legislation.