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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Medical cannabis reimbursement cases

Summary

Deputy Gino Kenny follows up on the lack of a cannabis access programme and says several families have still not been reimbursed for licences, naming one Waterford case. The Taoiseach repeats that the same answer applies and will ask the Minister for Health to provide it again.

I want to follow up on Deputy Micheál Martin's question. It is two and a half years since the report came out. It was commissioned by the HPRA. Its main recommendation was that the cannabis access programme be set up. Since then, there has been no access programme. In the past two and half years, 16 licences have been granted to 16 individuals in the State. Of those 16 licences, three have involved financial reimbursement. There are, therefore, 13 other families who have not been reimbursed. A family contacted me over the past few weeks. Mary and Joe Stevens, who live in Waterford, were granted a licence last December for their daughter, Cassandra, and they were given notification yesterday by the HSE that they would not be reimbursed. The cost is €9,000 per year. The family still has to go to another jurisdiction, namely, Holland, to get the medication. As of August, however, the family will not be able to afford the medication for their daughter. According to their words and the clinical notes, we have learned that the product has made a dramatic difference to the daughter's life.

This is so important. I have been banging this drum for the past three years. I am so frustrated. My frustration does not compare with the frustration of the families. Is there a commencement date for the cannabis access programme?

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Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

Same reply.

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That is terrible. That is absolutely terrible. For three years-----

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I call Deputy Mattie McGrath.

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Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I am sorry but the reply cannot be any different from that of seven minutes ago.

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Surely the Taoiseach can give a better answer than that. That is terrible. I have been banging this drum for two and a half years and the Taoiseach gives an answer like that.

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The Taoiseach might communicate with Deputy Kenny. Could he correspond?

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That is unbelievable. It is so disrespectful.

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Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I will be happy to ensure the Minister for Health provides the Deputy with an updated response, which will be the same reply.

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