Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a good deal of experience of dealing with cases. What often happens is that the medical certification does not deal with the fact that a person must be unable to work for 12 months or more. Doctors often think that by listing illnesses, they have fulfilled their requirement. It would be useful if a message could clarify to medical professionals the exact form of certification required and what must be certified. In my experience, that is what repeatedly sees people fail at the first attempt and succeed at the second.

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