Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 June 2021

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Ceisteanna (269, 270, 271, 272, 273)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

269. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the reason a company (details supplied) is not funded at source; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26050/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

270. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the work currently under way to ensure funding at source for persons prescribed a drug manufactured by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26051/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

271. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including a treatment by a company (details supplied) in the cannabis access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26052/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

272. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the supports that are in place for persons prescribed a treatment manufactured by a company (details supplied) who do not have the required funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26053/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceist:

273. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the work currently ongoing to ensure funding at source for persons prescribed a treatment manufactured by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26054/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 to 273, inclusive, together.

The products referred by the Deputy are manufactured by the dispensing pharmacy in the Netherlands. Owing to Dutch government restrictions cannabis-based oils may not be commercially exported to pharmacies or wholesalers however they will allow the filling of individual prescriptions for collection by the patient, the patient’s family or a representative.

Since April 2020, owing to the pandemic the Department has been collecting patient’s prescriptions form the Netherlands and delivering them to patient’s homes. These collections approximately every four weeks and will continue post-pandemic.

As a result of the prohibition of commercial export of the cannabis-based products the manufacturers cannot apply to the Health Products Regulatory Authority to have the products included in the Medical Cannabis Access Programme.

Patients currently access the Dutch products through their clinicians being licensed under the Misuse of Drugs Act to treat their patients with a controlled substance. The patients or their families pay the dispensing pharmacy in the Netherlands and may make an application to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service to refund the cost of the products.

Under Section 10B of the Health Act 2004 (as inserted by section 6 of the Health Service Executive (Governance) Act 2013) the Minister for Health, may not give a direction under section 10, or specify a priority or performance target under section 10A, as respects—

(a) any function of the Executive relating to the provision of treatment or a health or personal social service to any particular person,

(b) any function of the Executive relating to a decision concerning—

(i) whether or not a particular person is eligible for a particular health or personal social service (including the payment of a grant or allowance), or

(ii) the extent to which and the manner in which a person is eligible for any such service,

(c) any function of the Executive relating to a decision concerning the making or recovery of a charge for the provision of a health or personal social service by or on behalf of the Executive to a particular person or concerning the amount of such charge,

(d) any function of the Executive that has been specified in an enactment to be a function of the Director General relating to functions referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c).

I have asked officials in the Department to examine this issue.

Barr
Roinn