My question is on promised legislation in respect of access to medicinal cannabis. Ms Vera Twomey is a mother from Cork who, as we speak, is walking from Cork to Dublin. Vera has met the Minister, Deputy Harris, in the past. The reason Vera is taking this action is because her seven year old daughter, Ava, suffers from Dravet syndrome, a severe and debilitating form of epilepsy. Ava can suffer up to 20 seizures a day. The child is suffering and Vera and Paul, her parents, are suffering too. They set out their case clearly to the Minister. This child needs access to this medicine quickly.

Is this a programme for Government commitment?

This is promised legislation.

Vera tells me that she has had long frustrating discussions with the Minister, Deputy Harris. She feels she is being led up the garden path. She is petrified for the health and safety of her seven year old child. I want to know from both the Taoiseach and the Minister when the Government will make it happen. It is a seven year old girl, who is seizuring up to 20 times a day and whose life is in jeopardy.

The time is up now.

Can the Taoiseach tell me when this legislation will be passed and when this child will get the medicine she needs?

On the same matter, Vera Twomey wants the best for her child who is suffering greatly from the particular condition. I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Harris, this morning. I urge the Minister to take whatever actions he can to ensure that she gets the medical care and the access to the product that she needs.

On the same matter, Deputy Moynihan.

Yesterday I questioned this also and I do not feel that I got a satisfactory answer on it. There are two legislative items on the cards here.

There is the legislation initiated before Christmas that has completed Second Stage, and there is the commitment from the Minister to deliver his legislation. Will one of those pieces of legislation be advanced as quickly as possible to solve this problem for them?

The Minister received a report on medicinal cannabis from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, on 31 January and at that time the Minister gave a commitment that he would move very quickly on this issue. I am in constant contact with Ava's mother, Vera, even up to last night when I spoke to her, and I reiterate what other Members are saying. This is an extremely sad case but it is not only affecting the child. It is affecting the parents and the extended family. I appeal to the Minister, on behalf of the family, please to make a decision very quickly on this issue.

My question is about the definition of paediatric neurologist. I attended the meeting last week with Vera and the Minister explained the role of the paediatric neurologist. We need clarification on that because there is confusion about it in that in the past a doctor may have signed off on it and looked for a licence. That may be where we need clarification on this matter.

I seek clarity from the Minister with regard to a parliamentary reply I was given by his office last year which states that it can be made available on prescription of a doctor. Could we get clarity on that because this is an issue that is causing grave concern to Vera and her family? Will the Minister clarify who can actually prescribe?

I met with Vera and Paul in Cork recently to discuss their daughter Ava. There are two pieces of legislation from Deputy Gino Kenny and also what the Minister has spoken about. The legislation itself is not necessary to have medicinal cannabis made available but there are conditions under which that can apply, and I ask the Minister to clarify that for the House.

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I met Vera and Paul on Thursday. It was my fourth meeting with them, and I was in further contact with Vera yesterday by e-mail. The advice available to me is very simple. The Chief Medical Officer has said to me that it requires the signature and support of a paediatric neurologist. I do not have an application with a paediatric neurologist's support. If I had one, without changing any law, we can make that available through the current system. I believe, however, that we should introduce the compassionate access programme but let me be very clear on that. The compassionate access programme as cited in the HPRA report still talks about the need for a consultant. What I ask all Deputies in the House to do is work with me through the Oireachtas health committee to bring forward this issue as quickly as possible. I wrote to the Oireachtas health committee yesterday. I see no reason why the Oireachtas health committee could not have the HPRA in before it as a matter of urgency to try to progress this issue. I will be happy to meet with the representatives of each of the political groupings in this House to see how we can progress it.

Can the Minister assist with access to that consultant?