Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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11. To ask the Minister for Health if the review planned by his Department on the medical cannabis access programme has begun; if so, when he expects it to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25788/24]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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My question is about the ongoing review of the medical cannabis access programme. As the Minister knows, the Health Research Board did a very extensive review which was published in January. It recommended a number of progressive changes to the medical cannabis access programme, which at the moment is stagnant in terms of patients who can access medical cannabis treatment. I would like to hear the Minister's views of the review by the Department of Health.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing advocacy and work in the Oireachtas on this issue. From a policy perspective, I want to take a very open approach to medicinal cannabis-based products. We want to make sure it is safe for patients, obviously, and we will always follow the clinical advice. Within that, I have told the Department and the HSE that there should be no idea of shutting these products down because they are cannabis-based. Let us follow the evidence and let us do what is best for patients.

On the initiation of the medicinal cannabis access programme pilot in 2021, the intention was to commence this review after five years, which would not be for another at two years. However, I decided to bring the review forward. I do not think we need to wait for five years. My Department commissioned the Health Research Board to undertake an international evidence review as an important input to the process. Earlier this year, the HRB published its review, entitled The Efficacy and Safety of Medicinal Cannabis in the Adult Populations. The next step in the review process is to establish a clinical review group. We have the report and it is a very good piece of work from the HRB. The clinical review group will be there to review the evidence the HRB has found.

My Department is now in the process of making the necessary arrangements to establish this group. The good news is that I anticipate the group will be set up in the coming weeks.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I had my head in my hands there because the level of despair about the lack of progress on this issue is palpable. Those who have been campaigning on this issue have been frustrated, to say the least. Since the legislation was introduced in 2019 and the medical cannabis access programme, MCAP, was set up, only 50 people have received access to the programme. It is too restrictive. The Health Research Board, HRB, stipulated that it should expand to other conditions, particularly neurodegenerative conditions. The Danish medical cannabis access programme is much more extensive and includes conditions other than the three conditions that are stipulated under our programme. At the moment, some people have to go abroad to get access to medical cannabis products-----

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----and some people have to go to the black market, which is bizarre. Some people have to do without. That is just not acceptable when we have a programme that is up and running, but is largely stagnant in getting people access to these particular products.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I apologise, I was just chasing up one or two bits for him there. I hear what he is saying about the campaigners and their demands for the process to move more quickly, and that is exactly what we have done. The process that was set out in 2021 was for the review to start in 2026. We were going to wait for five years to gather sufficient evidence. The review would then take a year, let us say. That means we would be into 2027. I have compressed all of that. We are now at a point in 2024 that we can do it, but the initial original timeline was for three years from now. We have accelerated it by three years. Having that working group in place in the coming weeks will be of assistance.

As with any advocacy in healthcare, there is an urgency on behalf of those who are campaigning. I want to say to them very clearly that we have heard them and that is why we have accelerated the process by several years. We have a good report, and we will have this expert working group in place in the coming weeks.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I think the Minister, personally, is a good supporter of this issue and that he wants to see progress. Who will be on that working group? Is there a timeline for when it will finish its work? In the past, we have seen groups being set up, and it takes forever for them to come back with recommendations. The HRB report does recommend that the programme needs to expand. If it does not, I do not think the programme will last. I do not think it will go anywhere-----

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----and that would be a huge shame. Whatever your doubts about medical cannabis may be, it can be a hugely beneficial medical intervention for some people and particularly for some conditions, although not all. Some people will use it for all conditions and that is their business, but there is really good evidence to show that we should expand this programme. If it does not expand, I do not think there will be a future for the medical cannabis access programme going forward.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. It is very clear that there are beneficial effects. We currently have four authorised cannabis products, namely, Epidiolex, with which 184 patients have now been prescribed, Sativex, nabilone and dronabinol. There are 184 patients on Epidiolex and, while I do not have the figures for the others, I know that is the biggest group.

We are taking it very seriously and we have accelerated the process. I cannot provide the names yet as that is still being worked through, but we are getting a chair and we are putting the group together. The Deputy can take it from me that we are progressing this at pace.