Vera Twomey is waiting for Minister's next move

VERA Twomey, the mother of seven-year-old Ava from Aghabulloge, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, has said that she doesn’t know what the next step will be in her ongoing campaign to access medicinal cannabis for her daughter.

‘We will just have to wait and see,’  Vera told The Southern Star.

This follows last week’s removal, by gardaí, of Vera and three others from their sleep-out protest at the Dáíl. 

Although initially sitting outside the gates, the four moved inside the barrier at Leinster House on Thursday, to demand a meeting with the Minister for Health Simon Harris. 

They were physically removed by gardaí because, they were told, they were blocking the entrance for TDs.

Meanwhile, Cork South West Independent TD Michael Collins, who was with Vera during her protest, has called on the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste to personally intervene with Minister Simon Harris, on the matter.

‘Vera has walked from her home near Macroom and has spent nights sleeping outside the Dáil in her fight to get medication for her child and every other person who suffers from the same illness in this country,’ said Deputy Collins.

‘The Taoiseach said that for the medication to be legalised in this country, it would have to be done through legislation which, in his view, would take some time. He also said a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children could result in a licence being given on compassionate grounds. This meeting took place but unfortunately, further hurdles have now appeared and Vera is unable to access the medication.’

Deputy Collins added that Vera ‘just wants to be able to provide her child with relief from her suffering and pain’  and added that  ‘we have to have some compassion.’