Today, I speak on behalf of Vera Twomey and her late daughter, Ava Barry. This is a story that embodies the courage of Irish families and the urgent need for compassionate healthcare reform. Ava suffered from Dravet syndrome and endured up to 500 seizures per month. When conventional treatments failed, Vera fought tirelessly for access to medicinal cannabis. She walked from Cork to Leinster House on two occasions, became a medical exile in the Netherlands and, ultimately, secured a licence for medication that reduced Ava's seizures by 70%, which allowed her to live with dignity. Even in hospital, Vera was the only person permitted to administer Ava's medication. This highlights a dangerous gap in our healthcare system. Ava passed away in May 2023 and at her inquest the jury recommended a national policy, now known as Ava's protocol, to oversee the administration of essential but unlicensed medicines. I ask the Government to formally adopt Ava's protocol and integrate it into national healthcare policy.

I thank Deputy Collins for raising this matter. I want to pay tribute to Vera Twomey because if she was watching this she would be the first to say that she and I had a very testy relationship at the start. However, I very quickly realised that Vera was a mum who would do anything for her child. I think of poor Vera and the late Ava today. They changed Ireland in terms of the reforms that were brought about. I remember signing the licence for Ava to get access to medicinal cannabis in order to bring her some degree of ease from the most horrific situation. We owe Vera a debt of gratitude for the work she did and I thank her for that. I remember poor Ava fondly and I think of her and Vera and her family today.

I will ask the Department of Health where this is at and how it intends to act on that recommendation. It is important the recommendation is taken seriously. Currently, there are two separate programmes, the legislative medical cannabis access programme, MCAP, and the administrative ministerial licence programme. I will come back to the Deputy directly on the matter.