Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I am disappointed the Minister of State will not accept my amendment. I recognise that subsection (4) provides that a person may apply for an extension of up to 12 weeks. That is reasonable for the majority of people, but I seek an allowance for the minority who may not even have the capacity or be in a position to write the letter to seek the extension. I want an extension of the period to six months to allow them time to recover somewhat from their illness. I will probably submit this amendment again on Report Stage and I urge the Minister of State to consider it in the meantime in the context of dealing with a minority under this section.