Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

If one takes the example of employer liability insurance, the first cases to be dealt with will be the ones affecting employees. Many of them will be members of trade unions and I have no doubt there will be advice available to them from many quarters. I do not envisage them acting as solo players. Where there are deficiencies and the assessor is not in a position to stand over it and make a clear determination, the onus will be on them to get all the information they require from the claimant, including medical evidence. I am not certain that there will be many cases where the initial medical advice following the first couple of weeks of the injury will be the final advice on which the assessor will base his or her assessment. It may well be that there will be subsequent advice. That is why the time lag is 15 months rather than the very short period of three, as one has got to see what medical advice becomes available some time after the accident and not just in the immediate aftermath. The recovery and the prognosis for the individual's future are relevant matters. Clearly, it will not be decided on the basis of one letter from one doctor. In many cases there will be much medical advice, no doubt, accompanying applications at different stages in the process.