Good luck to Noel McCullagh in the European elections

[BrianH]

Hey,
I just recently heard that Noel McCullagh is running in the current European elections in the North-West and I just wanted to wish him the best of luck. Some of you may or may not be aware of his case Article from Tribune and Article from Irish Times but since 2006 when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) he has been banned from entering the Irish Republic due to his daily prescription pharmacy medicinal product (VAT-regisitered Bedrocan®)

I think it's great he is running

Noel McCullagh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - More info on Noel available here if anyone doesn't know who I am speaking of.

Good luck Noel.

[semtext]

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Thanks everyone at Politics.ie

Having been forbidden to enter Ireland during the three weeks I was a legally nominated candidate in the EuroParl elections 2009, I was also forbidden Freedom of Movement to enter and cast my democratic vote on June 5th.

It appears now, that the individual person who has been successful in her personal efforts to banish me out of Ireland is intent also on making sure that I cannot enter the country to cast my democratic vote in the referendum on the Irish constitution.
On Oct.1st, it will be 1054 days of successfully refusing to accept to receive the documentation from my applications under United Nations treaty law to which Ireland became a notified participant on Feb 2005.
But, don't be a fool. If nobody cares for 1000 days and nights : it's very unlikely I am going to get them to from 1200km away and in my state.
When optic neuritis being an ever worsening feature of the progressive deadly illness MS, there was so much that I still could've seen in 2006 that I will now never see again.

There were so many things I could have done with family members : a day's outing to a park, to a lake somewhere : just for one last time before it became no longer possible.

Vote in the national elections and/or referenda or elections : these, and many other things since my diagnosis in the same month as the demise of his Lordship Leader of All-Ireland, Charles James HeeHAW, in 2006.
The Lord HeeHAW didn't have to attend court and stayed out of jail because some kind or another of (short-lived) illness his doctor attested to : whereas I am 'in jail' of sorts because of a real, ever worsening illness.
And unlike Lord HeeHAW, with the illness actively and slowly causing the degeneration of my primary organ, my brain, there's no question of getting a few days off to open the Kerry Regatta (not that they'd ever want me there anyway!).
I cannot believe how the press were getting their information over the past three years from this Mary O'Reilly at the Social Inclusion Force with the Dept of Health, and this govt representative admits "no, I've never seen the other documents you refer to".

PS: I wish all the tourism gurus a fabulous time at Powerscourt Failre Ourland wining and dining extravaganza today! Cead Mhile Falty!

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More here: LINK

[wysiwyg]

Is he being refused entry to Ireland, or being refused to bring certain medication into Ireland ?

[kerrynorth]

Is he being refused entry to Ireland, or being refused to bring certain medication into Ireland ?

The latter. He cannot import certain drugs that he uses into Ireland. His freedom of travel or right of entry is not being denied. He just refuses to obey the law when doing so. Presenting his case in this manner is entirely dishonest.

[KingKane]

Is he being refused entry to Ireland, or being refused to bring certain medication into Ireland ?

It's the latter, but given that the medication is legal in one part of the EU and not here doesn't throw up some interesting problems. For one, we appear to depend to some extent on an EU level of FDA type approval of treatments and medications. So we had some inference that certain herbal remedies were banned or placed on prescription only basis a few years back at the supposed behest of the EU but it seems products can't be similarly extended for distribution across the EU.

The other question is what research or assessment is being done here into treatments for MS, medical maryjane would appear to offer some relief from symptoms and inhibit the progress of the condition but we're probably just waiting for someone else to make a decision and then we will simply follow.

[semtext]

Is he being refused entry to Ireland, or being refused to bring certain medication into Ireland ?

Hello wysiwyg K & K ,
It was the first of those two : being refused entry to Ireland.

To understand that, you have to be aware of a few key points of information regarding the medical condition (it doesn't stop or take breaks), the purposes behind the pharmacy medicines and the various other elements of treatment involved in the management of the medical condition of the patient (that's standard enough stuff that goes for everyone).

Obviously, nothing requires patients to divulge all of this information at every step of a simple and straight-forward journey. Not only in this a key element of the law of the European Union, but it is also codified in other international laws, such as those of the United Nations.

Freedom of movement is a basic and fundamental right. Medical conditions and pharmacy medicines are a private matter for the patient and their medical practitioners. So are diagnoses. It's rather odd that above on these pages I am being named dishonest; whereas I would rather have not had my prescription, pharmacy medicines revealed in public in the first place by Deputy Brian Lenihan TD in the Irish Parliament in April 2008, nor would I have made public the private details of my (to that point) medical diagnosis. It's also a fundamental right that patients are afforded the right to keep their prescription medicines and medical diagnoses private.

Whether Bediol® and Bedrocan® are legal for prescription by doctors registered to trade with the Irish Medical Organisation is neither here nor there. The subject here is neither resident in Ireland nor permanently treated at a facility registered with the IMO. He is a tourist.

Ireland notified the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board in 2005, in accordance with the Republic's ratifying the Single Convention on narcotics 1971 in 1980, that there are procedures/provisions in place in their jurisdiction for patients (travellers) under medical treatment with drugs containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under international supervision. That is what the UN resolution of April 2003 requested of all members; and specifically it requested same from Ireland's Dept of Health and Children in a letter of 10 FEB 2005.

Most of Europe, even non-EU members, have stated to the INCB (in response to the resolution and publication of UN International Guidelines) that the "Schengen Medical Declaration" is the desired documentation for their jurisdictions. In fact, the 1994 Schengen Medical Declaration for travellers under medical prescription is precisely what the United Nations based their International Guidelines upon. EUR-Lex - 41994D0028 - EN

The procedures outlined to the INCB by the Dept of Health and Children's 'Social Inclusion Unit' on 28 FEB 2005 were much less formal and in no way conform to the international procedures valid throughout the rest of the EU / EEA. They were simple and straightforward, the valid practise (as on file at the INCB in VIENNA) being that the documents, i.e. letter from dispensing pharmacist and/or prescribing doctor, had to support the amount of personal use of the medical products in the possession of the traveller.
http://www.incb.org/pdf/travel_regul...d-ORIGINAL.pdf

The question of whether Irish doctors may or may not prescribe the medicines does not apply: the traveller takes with them on their person only the amount prescribed for the duration of the journey. Under the Schengen Medical Certificate, the duration may not exceed 30 days. 'That' is Freedom of Movement, but nowhere near freedom of residence. Fortunately, that is not nor ever was what I was requesting from the Irish authorities, and TDs Mary Harney, Michael Kitt and Brian Lenihan's answers at Dail Question time to various other deputies over the past three years clearly illustrate this.

In all of their answers, those Irish leaders stated that there was ambiguity about the agreement signed by disgraced ex-Chair of the Parliament of Ireland and currently Deputy John O'Donoghue TD of Kerry (known as 'John Bull') known as the 'Schengen acquis' on Police and Judicial Cooperation was never ratified by the then minister of Justice, Deputy John O'Donoghue TD, of Kerry.

In an ideal world, one may have expected either the embassy officials, the Dept. of H&C, the ministry of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (International Section), the minister of Health's dept., the minister of Justice's dept., to be aware that the Art. 75 Schengen Medical Certificate (not ratified by Rep of Ireland) was identical to the United Nations International Guidelines for national regulations concerning travellers under treatment with internationally controlled drugs (which Ireland, via the Dept. of Health, notified the UN in 2005 it had recognised and that it had established provisions in place post-implementation of the UN Resolution 46/6 of April 2003).

If readers really wish to get off-topic and switch the tables around to suit their own situation, then consider not whether Irish doctors may prescribe Bediol and Bedrocan to patients resident in Ireland or in Dublin. Rather, consider the situation whereby an Irish family wishes to travel elsewhere in Europe to visit emigrant relations while one of their children has ADHD and is prescribed Methylphenidate : an internationally controlled, or "supervised", substance (traded as Ritalin).
Or, take for example an Irish resident diagnosed with cancer who is prescribed methylmorphine for the treatment of post operative pain who wishes to fly to Fatima or Lourdes. As a controlled substance, methylmorphine (traded as Tramadol) is not an over-the-counter medicine and as such, patients carrying it outside of their own Health Board's jurisdiction require documentation to support the possession of such substances for personal use. Dronabinol, a constituent of the pharmaceutical VAT medicines prescribed in this case, is equally one such internationally supervised constituent and as such, travellers prescribed that require documents according to that specified on the UN's website for the jurisdiction they wish to visit for a short period (like a holiday).

Mr Jim Higgins MEP did realise this as the breakdown of the situation to (wherein I found myself as a Netherlands resident) where the tables are turned around (to suit the personal perspective of an Irish resident) when he asked a question of the Commissioner for Justice, M. J. Barrot at the European Commission in Brussels on 28 Aug 2008:
Higgins, J. to Commission
| Q : Are Irish patients who are in possession of narcotic substances for their medical treatment liable to be arrested and prosecuted when they visit another Member State if they are not in possession of a Schengen Medical Certificate(1) whilst in transit across those other jurisdictions?
ANSWER:
Written question - Schengen - E-4659/2008

PATIENT INFORMATION:
http://kol14.com/wp-content/uploads/...fessionals.pdf

INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY INFO / pharmaceutical manufacture:
MinVWS | Office of Medicinal Cannabis

PS: I enjoyed my visit to Ireland and it was great to finally see my Mum and spend a few days out working with my Dad. I also got to see my sister and her family; they came down from the Republic of Dublin to Galway especially. I'd never met her youngest.
If anyone is interested in equestrian endeavours or just likes to see some photos, you can view the pictures (and videos) taken during the Great October Horse Fair at Ballinasloe at the link beneath
Mobypicture - Share your adventures with your friends realtime

It was really fantastic to shake peoples' hands (with both hands) and (simultaneously be able to) look them in the eye; rather than stare up at them out of a chair as would have been the case had my health continued to deteriorate as it had been doing for a few years before the diagnosis and application of this mild immuno-suppressive medicine.
Actually, you can thank also that medicine for the very fact that I'm even here writing this message too : typing and word-processing is extremely difficult when one has difficulty controlling their forearms.

Finally, it's been said to me by medical professionals here that the Netherlands discovering the various heretofore unknown chemical properties of derivatives of this medicine is all down to an Irishman. Look him up if you like, he is generally here (and in textbooks) accredited with first discovering, researching and authoring a treatise on the beneficial medical effects of medical preparations containing dronabinol (extracted from the cannabis plant) into Western Medicine. As far as I'm aware, he was born in Limerick and was surgeon, physician and professor of chemistry at Calcutta hospital and his name was O'Shaughnessy.

He's also accredited with inventing Intravenous therapy (the IV-line) for fluid replacement, at age 22.

Noel

[Thac0man]

The latter. He cannot import certain drugs that he uses into Ireland. His freedom of travel or right of entry is not being denied. He just refuses to obey the law when doing so. Presenting his case in this manner is entirely dishonest.

To be specific, we are talking about Cannabis?

He wants to bring spliff into the country, and is having the Netherlands try and prosecute Ireland and bully our state in dropping our rules in favour of the EU dictating to us.

I am sure theres plenty of places this muppet can some dope here in Ireland. The angst on display in relation to this case is in bad taste considering what dope seems to be at the core of the cause.

[semtext]

To be specific, we are talking about Cannabis?

Hi Oman,

Specifically : no. This isn't about 'dope' or 'cannabis'.

Specifically, this is about all pharmaceutical medicines containing as a constituent an internationally supervised narcotic. In this case dronabinol : it's one of the constituents 'and' it's an internationally supervised substance requiring documentation by those prescribed it.

The medicines are here : Home

It's perfectly legal to travel to the Rep of Ireland for short durations under the provisions implemented by the Dept. of Health and Children per UN regulations to carry an amount equalling only that prescribed by the treating physician for the duration of the journey made by the traveller. The only issue remaining is that it took quite some time to establish that with the authorities.

To suggest that a formerly physically-handicapped muppet like me, medicated 365-days/ year for a serious, potentially disabling illness that does not take any breaks, with a laboratory pharmaceutical product made under a strict quality control program would go out in Ireland looking to buy black-market who-the-f**k-knows-what off someone who is neither a doctor nor a pharmacist is really the cream of comedy; but thanks all the same: it's almost laughable if it wasn't such an idiotic concept.

Then again, on the point of idiocy : in Ireland, not even a 3000 euro health insurance policy will save you from having to pay a general practitioner 60 euro for a 6 minute visit! Unbelievable!

Another good one, is that a UK company buys each year since 2001 a cash licence from minister of Health and Children (Michael Martin commenced this practise) to carry out live 'experimentations' on dying Irish that are admitted to hospitals in Cork and Waterford.
The 'experimentations' are carried out in conjunction with GW Pharmaceuticals, a UK drugs company based in Salisbury UK, which started the live experimentations under Minister Martin's tenure in a Cork hospital. I have communicated with some of the people with MS involved in the live experimentations. Although the Irish Indo article below states the UK pharma giant GW was investigating the applications in 'pain relief', that UK company has since brought a product on the market (based on the research into the dying Irish in Cork and Waterford) called Sativex, and which is available in most fmr commonwealth of nations states, with the exception of the Irish Republic (where, of course, the experimentations take place).
Mind & Body this week: cannabis and pain relief - Features, Unsorted - Independent.ie

I suppose, were it on sale there as it is in the UK Canada US Aus NZ SA, there would not be so many desperate patients at the end of their thether, who present at hospitals and concede in desperation to participate in hush-hush (you've never heard of it have you) short-term, live-experimentations conducted by the UK Pharma concern GW on the various applications of the chemical dronabinol.

Having said that, what is most worrying about the live experimentations conducted on cash licence from minister Mary Harney in Cork and Waterford on Irish residents, people dying of Cancer or dxd's with MS, is that the prople with MS themselves, having participated in the company's experimentation program and (after approx 2 weeks as is usually the case) noticed the marked benefits in the application of the treatment and return of their physical control, balance, continence, optical vision and et cetera -- those people must then cease with the treatment (albeit only experimental) and thereafter watch in horror as the immono suppressive effects slowly wear off and the physical limitations of the illness and all that it brings with it slowly return and encapsulate them.

Besides, as I said above: this isn't about the EU of being spoon fed as animals : it's about the UN and an undertaking and international notification the Dept of Health already gave way back in 2005
http://www.incb.org/pdf/travel_regul...d-ORIGINAL.pdf

Nobody's trying to alter the Irish law : certainly not me. I was attempting only to notify the implementing authority, the Dept of Health & Children, of the international undertaking it gave to the UN in 2005.

Strangely enough, GW Pharma in Salisbury UK source their raw materials from the Netherlands.

One other thing, 'the Netherlands' is not prosecuting your state (it is also mine btw). anyways: how is that possible? I made a complaint as a citizen, and I made a petition as a citizen. That's all that's required to do that : be a citizen of the EU (that is automatic when you are a citizen of an EU member-state.
Nor am I trying to have things "forced upon Ireland" : I was 4-years-old when Ireland ratified the UN Single Convention on narcotic substances and wasn't even born when Ireland, my country and yours, signed that UN treaty.

EU is not 'dictating' anything to Ireland nor to Ireland's '1937 Bundesrecht', aka the constitution of the Irish : if anything is dictating to the Republic of Ireland, it would be the UK and Ireland's own ministers (like John Bull and Fairly Blarney).
Because, when the UK applied to join Schengen in 2000, it took Ireland (i.e. minister of justice, John Bull O'Donoghue) only two months to submit a similar application -- identical article-for-article to that submitted by his "British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body" ministerial-colleague Jack Straw at the Home Office -- in order to keep open the all-important, customary-law, Common Travel Area of Great Britain and Ireland.

[Thac0man]

EU is not 'dictating' anything to Ireland nor to Ireland's '1937 Bundesrecht', aka the constitution of the Irish : if anything is dictating to the Republic of Ireland, it would be the UK and Ireland's own ministers (like John Bull and Fairly Blarney).
Because, when the UK applied to join Schengen in 2000, it took Ireland (i.e. minister of justice, John Bull O'Donoghue) only two months to submit a similar application -- identical article-for-article to that submitted by his "British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body" ministerial-colleague Jack Straw at the Home Office -- in order to keep open the all-important, customary-law, Common Travel Area of Great Britain and Ireland.

I did not say the EU was dictating. I said the man in question was taking a case against Ireland, from Holland, using European law. The aim is to everride Irelands institutions and impose European law over irish law. The end result would be, if he is successful, a ruling to override domestic legislation and concerns and impose an EU regulation on the Ireland. ie. The EU dictating to us.

I dont give a flying f**k what your or his conditon is, I won't see our soverign will overruled by this nonsense. I have also a strong suspician that Cannabis is at the heart of this. Under the same court challange to Irelands right to define what drugs are legal cannabis would just happen to be legalised if the case is successful.

If your trying blindside someone, don't try it with me. And before you have the chance to skive off and change the Wikipedia page you posted:

Noel McCullagh (Irish: Nollaig Mac Con Uladh; born 15 December 1975, Ballinasloe, County Galway, Connacht, Republic of Ireland) is a Irish journalist and historian.[1][2]
McCullagh began his career in 2000 as a newsreader with Oog Radio in the Netherlands.[3] In 2006, he was appointed coordinator of the English language newsdesk at Zoom.in in Amsterdam, having worked as a reporter and newscaster. A member of the Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten (NVJ),[4] International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), he is currently listed the Netherlands Twitter-TOP100 JOURNALISTS[5] and the Netherlands Twitter-TOP100 TV/Broadcast.[6] Early in 2008, he departed his studio post to instead pursue a career reporting on European Union affairs in Brussels.[7][8]

On August 4 2006, McCullagh was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He has since been prescribed medical cannabis products with the tradenames Bediol® and Bedrocan® by his physicians.[9][10] He has been informed by various Irish Government ministries that he will be arrested if he makes any attempt to enter the Republic of Ireland whilst remaining under medical treatment with those daily, prescribed medicines.[11][12][13]

Attorneys acting on behalf of the patient and the Netherlands' healthcare system have submitted a complaint to the European Commission on June 12 2008, stating that Ireland's refusal to grant leave to McCullagh to enter the Republic of Ireland is not compatible with the law of the European Union.[14][15]
In February 2009, McCullagh became a member of the Netherlands Association for Voluntary Ending-of-Life (NVVE).[16]
On 11 May 2009, 68 electors from his home town Ballinasloe nominated McCullagh to stand as an independent candidate in the European Parliament elections for the North–West constituency.[17] McCullagh accepted the nomination from his home in Amsterdam by fax to the Elections Returning Officer at Sligo Courthouse. Due to threats of arrest made on his person and threatened confiscation of his medicines contrary to the law of the United Nations[18][19] and the Law of the European Union[20][21] from Irish Government departments, he was not permitted[22] to enter the jurisdiction and the constituency to campaign during the three weeks he was a legally nominated candidate for the European Parliament elections 2009.

So not only did you attempt to rename Cannabis, but you tried to claim that Bediol was not Canndibis. From your own link:


and in a bag, Because THATS MAKE SUCH A HUGE DIFFERANCE......


You might want to try and smoking a little less "Bediol" before you try such bullsh*t on P.ie next time.