People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has revealed he was brought close to tears from the frustration of campaigning to introduce medicinal cannabis for Irish patients.

Speaking to the Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Kenny said he was “pissed off” by the legislative process but welcomed the recent Government decision to introduce a medical access programme for cannabis products.

“There are times, I will be out straight with you, I haven’t been cried but I have cycled out of Dail Eireann in despair,” he said.

“The last couple of weeks with the announcement of the medical access programme it has put a pep in my step,” he added

Medicinal cannabis will be available to certain patients whose medical needs cannot be treated by other products by the Autumn.

Mr Kenny said the scheme does not go far enough and he hopes in the future people with chronic pain will be able to avail of medical cannabis.

The Dublin Mid-West TD, who believes cannabis should be legalised for recreational use, said he smoked marijuana as recently as two weeks ago.

“It is the odd time I smoke a couple of joints. I wouldn’t be a big smoker but I do have the odd joint and when I say the odd joint I mean a couple of times a year,” he said.