Cork mother in heartfelt plea to Health Minister to legalise drug derived from cannabis

A Cork woman has pleaded with the Health Minister to consider legalising a form of cannabis that could ease her daughter's epileptic seizures.

Vera Twomey's daughter Ava suffers from Dravet Syndrome - a rare and incurable form of epilepsy.

The seizures caused by it could be eased by medication which contains cannabidiol, which is derived from cannabis.

Vera Twomey is appealing to Health Minister Simon Harris to consider her case.

"I'm begging Simon Harris to meet me," she said.

"I'd just like to say to him - please, my daughter is extremely ill, she's in hospital, she's having seizures every day and they're getting worse, they're not getting better.

"And all I want to do is talk to you. All I want to do is meet you."