Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I, too, would like to convey my condolences to the Leader and members of Fine Gael on the passing of Peter Mathews. I also extend condolences to his wife and family. He was a good man and he will be missed.

Today, I would like to highlight the case of Cork woman, Vera Twomey. She is the mother of a six-year-old girl called Ava who suffers catastrophic epilepsy. The mother has expressed her devastation after the HSE turned down her application for medicinal cannabis for her beautiful daughter. She was left heartbroken when the HSE turned down her application for medicinal cannabis for Ava and now fears her daughter will die. She has tried to get the Minister for Health to make medicinal cannabis available to her young daughter, Ava, who suffers from a very rare form of epilepsy. The Minister has been informed that the condition can be alleviated by taking medicinal cannabis. Ava's condition has improved in recent months after she started taking cannabis oil. Ava has taken cannabis oil, which is legally sourced from a shop in Dublin, since last October. Vera says that her daughter's life has been transformed since taking cannabis oil. Ava has thrived and there has been a 90% drop in the number of seizures. Little Ava can have up to 20 seizures a day, which is devastating. I know because I have a family member who has seizures. I can attest to the fact that it is heartbreaking.

The Minister has told Vera that she cannot get the medication to help treat her daughter because it has not been prescribed by a paediatric brain specialist and no exception will be made. I urge the Leader to ask the Minister to consider granting a compassionate exemption order that would allow Ava to use the THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, form of cannabis.

I wish to briefly highlight the three homeless people who are in tents that are located outside of my office.