Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
MOTHER AND CAMPAIGNER Vera Twomey is to hold another protest outside the Dáil saying that “nothing else will do” except new legislation in the area.
Twomey, who has come to national prominence for her campaign against what she sees as the denial of treatment for her daughter Ava, says Irish laws makes doctors reluctant to apply for a special dispensation.
Ava suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet’s syndrome and her condition has been treated and has been dramatically improved by the use of cannabis-based CBD oil.
Vera Twomey wants her daughter to have access to a stronger product containing THC.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the substance in cannabis which gives the high but at low levels has been shown to be useful treating conditions such as Ava’s.
But since THC contains psychoactive elements, it falls under the Misuse of Drugs Act and is therefore, illegal.
“It’s just an extension of the CBD and, in the small percent that you require it, it’s a necessary addition to improve her situation and that’s really what our fight has always been about,” Twomey told TheJournal.ie.
As this explainer points out, the Minister for Health can grant a licence for access to cannabis for medical purposes in individual cases when an application is endorsed by a consultant “who is responsible for the management of the patient”.
In the specific case of Ava Twomey, her consultant has so far not sought this licence from Minister Simon Harris.
“The public neurologist says there was a lack of public evidence and that she couldn’t oversee Ava’s care because there’s a lack of expertise in the country,” Twomey says.
After her march to the Dáil, Vera Twomey said she was given a number of other options in order to obtain the treatment. These included travelling abroad.
“The second neurologist said she could send us to Canada to be seen by a neurologist there and they would be able to prescribe the medicinal cannabis for Ava but unfortunately Ava wouldn’t be stable enough to travel a long distance like that,” Twomey says.
She added that another neurologist in Cork was willing to oversee Ava’s THC-based treatment but wanted the support of a colleague in doing so, but this was not forthcoming.
Twomey says the problem is that the laws make doctors unwilling to look at new options.
That is why she says passing the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill is the only way forward.
The bill has passed the first stage of the Dáil but has since stalled.
“Nothing else will do, nothing else at this stage will do,” Twomey says.
I mean Paul, my husband and I, have exhausted all avenues and every suggestion or every attempt to make progress that we have tried has been blocked. And my daughter is in seriously in need of this medication.
Twomey’s protest will take place at the Dáil on Wednesday 29 March and will begin at 7pm with people assembly there from about 5pm.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
That’s what one calls a jail sentence Take note judiciary in ireland
They won’t take note, why would they?
In Ireland the mandatory sentence for murder is “Life”. The judge has no power to give any other sentence. They are not allowed to put in minimum terms. The actual terms served for life sentances have been increasing over the years. It is up the Minister of Justice as to when they get released – the judiciary have no input in that.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/why-does-life-now-mean-a-much-longer-sentence-1.1857296
“In Ireland, a life sentence prisoner can expect to spend 22 years in prison. This is in marked contrast to the single-digit figures served by such offenders in the 1970s.
Ireland has now surpassed England and Wales in terms of time served. The relatively consistent approach to time served by murderers in England and Wales over the last decade ( 14 to 17 years) is in stark contrast to the increases in Ireland (from 11 to 22 years).”
The newspaper article you’re quoting is an opinion piece. The CSO figures also clearly illustrate a wide range of time served which in itself indicates a considerable variable in the likely length of time you’ll spend in prison, thus mitigating the effects of a mandatory ‘life’ sentence. Also, the numbers of convictions for ‘life’ sentences is considerably less than those for other serious offences where someone has been killed, like manslaughter or dangerous driving causing death.
So on the whole, it’s not a great article to quote. It’s fairly weak in fact, and it’s mostly opinion rather than fact (albeit with a few facts thrown in).
The fact remains that when you look at all prison sentences where someone was killed, then the likelihood is that you will serve single digit years. Sentencing should be a lot more harsher in Ireland; especially where you take the life of another person.
But you cannot compare manslaughter with murder. Manslaughter covers a much wider range of crimes. A single punch after a loud drunken argument where both sides have been aggressive can lead to death. That is manslaughter but it is not the same as pre-meditate killing and in such circumstances a suspended sentence may be the correct decision. Sometimes terrible things happen and they are by awful chance and not intended.
I understand where you are coming from, and I wasn’t suggesting that we compare manslaughter with murder. The two points I was trying to draw attention to were (1) that on ‘life’ sentencing alone there is a considerable variable in ‘Life’ sentencing which suggests a wide range of application of the term ‘life’ to a sentence and thus reduces what a ‘life’ sentence actually is. And (2) that if you include, not compare but include other sentences where a life has been lost that the overall figure of prison sentencing means that the number comes down to single digits.
I’m a great believer in the likes of broken windows’ theory and of restorative justice, and dare I say it, but suspended sentencing is a useful thing in the right circumstances. But I’m personally of the believe that if you take another’s life as a result of your actions that you should then be put in prison for the rest of your life. I do not see any natural justice or common justice in having one person six feet under and their family handed a lifetime of pain, and for the other person(s) to be left free after X amount of time. There are tragic occurrences, as you mentioned like one punch incidents, but a life has been lost forever as the result of another’s chosen actions. I personally feel there needs to be an accountable responsibility to ones actions. I may well be alone in thinking that however.
Very sad.
Victoria looks like a lovely person, a gentle soul.
She did not deserve to die like that.
From previous information relating to the couple she was far from gentle however nobody deserves to be murdered.
Am so happy that at list we could meet a man for help who will generously help us without any delay my name is Anthony Jordan am from USA,am just here to share this wonderful testimony for what this great man called DR DR OKOKH has done for me i really love my family especially my wife but i don’t know why just decided to leave me without no reason we have been dating for the past 4 years and planning on getting married she just told me that she is not sure if she can continue with this relationship which i then told her that why she said she is tired of me and then i just believe she was meeting another guy and this guy has blind folded her immediately i knew this i tried to search for help which then i recollected about one faithful day when i was watching a program on the TV about how people got help from DR OKOKH so then went to search about DR DR OKOKH which then i got his details and i emailed him which then i had to share my problem with him he just told me not to worry that he assures me that my lover would be back to my arms within 24 hours believe me am so happy within the 24 hours i got back my love she came to apologise to me telling me she never knew what came over her i accepted her back to my life am so happy all thanks to DR OKOKH and you can contact him for help on,obohokokrspellcaster@gmail.com
Hello to every one out here, am here to shear my the unexpected miracle that has happen to me three days ago,I came across a post online talking about how she got her ex back to her with the help of the great spell caster who happens to be high Dr akugbe, that he helped her though i never believe this because i was just wondering how could this be, but i gave my self hope and i contact the spell caster.this is the unbelievable that has happened to me this apiral I was happily married and we had three kids, we lived together as one because we both loved each other but before i knew it,my husband started acting funny and cheating on me later on,he told me that he cannot continue with me again i was confuse, so that was how he left me and my three kids without noting but there was noting i could do to stop him or bring him back to me I work so had to pay the children’s schools fee and other responsibility i did this for good five years. I cry all day and night because i don’t know what else to do to have my husband back to me until this faithful day i saw the post from one miss Nicole testifying how the high priest helped her to get her ex back I just wanted to try my luck because i never believe it will work but to my greatest surprise,am singing a new song i contacted the great priest on 2nd of march and he told me not to worry because once he finish caster the spell, that i should not worry i will get my husband back, the unbelievable happened on Friday when i got a call and I was surprise to hear my husbands voice apologizing to me that he is so sorry for keeping alone and came back home and we are happy together again wow, i really appreciate your good work great Dr ehige, God bless you and your good work for there noting else i can say than to tell the world about you.So if any one is out here seeing this post and you have similar issue like this, worry no more and contact the only man that can help you this email: allmightbazulartemple@gmail.com
My name is: post buy Samantha
have your say