349. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently accessing schedule 1 and schedule 2 product treatment under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme; the number of schedule 1 applications approved since commencement; if her Department has undertaken any assessment of the extent to which patients are being prescribed schedule 2 medicinal products; if her Department has undertaken any assessment of patients seeking access to medicinal cannabis products privately outside the Medical Cannabis Access Programme due to limitations in the current scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38548/26]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: All products available to patients on the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) are Schedule 2 controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, but are only Schedule 2 within the scope of the programme. The has been 75 successful applications to the MCAP. The are also patients being treated under the Ministerial Licence scheme which commenced in 2016.

The Department has not undertaken any assessment of patients seeking access to medicinal cannabis products privately outside the MCAP or Ministerial Licence scheme. It is important to emphasise that the MCAP and the Ministerial Licence scheme are the only lawful methods for patients to access cannabis-based products in Ireland for medical purposes.

Dáil Éireann Debate. Question 353 - Cannabis for Medicinal Use [38552/26]

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2026-05-21/353/#pq_353

353. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the adequacy and continuity of medicinal cannabis product availability under the Medical Cannabis Access Programme; if consideration is being given to expanding the range of approved products available to patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38552/26]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: Cannabis-based products used in the Medical Cannabis Access Programme are defined as "specified controlled drugs" in Statutory Instrument 262/2019, the Misuse Of Drugs (Prescription And Control Of Supply Of Cannabis For Medical Use) Regulations 2019 which also sets out the specifications in relation to Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC ) content, the main psychoactive extract of cannabis.

Any manufacturer or wholesaler is free to submit to the Health Products Regulatory Authority a Cannabis-based product for assessment for inclusion as a "specified controlled drug" in Schedule 1 of the 2019 Regulations.

Dáil Éireann Debate. Question 350 - Cannabis for Medicinal Use [38549/26]

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2026-05-21/350/#pq_350

350. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if affordability and reimbursement mechanisms for medicinal cannabis products form part of the current review of access to cannabis for medical use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38549/26]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: In the Medical Cannabis Access Programme reimbursement of the listed products prescribed by medical consultants and supplied through community pharmacies for a specified therapeutic indication as outlined in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs (Prescription and Control of Supply of Cannabis for Medical Use) Regulations 2019 (as amended), will be on an individual named patient basis aligned to the patient’s eligibility under the Community Drug Schemes.

To claim reimbursement, the top copy of the Unified Claim Form (UCF) is submitted for each dispensing with a copy of the Cannabis for Medical Use Prescription Form using form number format. The UCF needs to include patient name, Community Drug Scheme eligibility details (e.g. LTI number), administrative codes, name and quantities of products dispensed and dates of dispensing. Claims submitted for patients who are not approved will not be paid.

Reimbursement is only for treatment of the three stated conditions of the MCAP, refractory epilepsy, spasticity due to MS and nausea as a result of chemotherapy. Reimbursement decisions are a matter for the Primary Care Reimbursement Service and not the Department of Health.

As part of the Review Access to Cannabis for Medical Use the work will examine the current administration of MCAP, including the application process and practical operation of the scheme.