A seriously ill Irishman living in the Netherlands has said he's preparing to end his life after losing a further bid to return home carrying medicine containing cannabis.
Noel McCullagh (35), who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, has not been able to visit his parents, Michael and Ann, in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, after being repeatedly warned that he will face a drugs charge if he attempts to enter the State with his medication, which is on prescription from a Dutch doctor.
"I don't want anything more to do with Ireland," Mr McCullagh said last night. "The Irish authorities write to me every single year in December to tell me I'm not going home. I'm preparing my euthanasia now."
Mr McCullagh, a postman with Royal Dutch Mail, has lived and worked in the Netherlands for more than a decade. He has repeatedly missed Christmases and birthdays with his family because of the intransigence of the government stance.
Source: Sarah Collins, Irish Independent, 05/04/2011