Medicinal cannabis campaigner Vera Twomey says she always believed those who needed it would have access to it eventually.
She was speaking after Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced new provisions for the delivery and funding of the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme.
The measures will allow consultants prescribe medicinal cannabis for a number of medical conditions where conventional treatment has failed.
Vera told Newstalk Breakfast this day has been a long time coming.
"I believed that this was always going to come eventually - I don't mean that to sound in anyway arrogant or anything like that".
"Sometimes there are things that have to come to pass, and there has been resistance to all of us that have spoken up about getting access for medical cannabis for our families.
"But sometimes the opposition to what you're looking for is unreasonable, and the argument surrounding medical cannabis is one of those situations.
"There was determination and persistence necessary to be able to see it through".
'Patients will be able to take up that offer'
She said credit is due to everyone involved, including Minister Donnelly.
But she added: "It's unfortunate that it wasn't funded from the word go when it was announced initially".
She said the change would mean that patients prescribed medical cannabis will now be able to afford it.
"These patients will now be able to take up that offer, because a lot of people were in a situation where they simply could not afford the outlay of the money necessary to pay for the medication".
Vera explained: "This will mean that if the medication is being refunded from the word go, that people will be able to afford it, to be able to move forward with a prescription.
"Otherwise you're in a situation where you have to pay for the medication and wait for a period of time for it to be refunded".
She said her daughter Ava, who has Dravet's Syndrome, is doing well.
"The COVID has been hard on everybody, especially for our kids with additional needs - missing school is very tough.
"You're worried about them regressing and everything, without the attention that they get in school and the support.
"But she is well".
