The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD, and the Minister of State, Robert Troy TD, have announced that the final proposals underpinning the so-called ‘Right to be Forgotten’ legislation will be brought before Cabinet in the coming weeks.

The new laws will ensure cancer survivors can access mortgage protection insurance on fair and equitable terms. The legislation that ensures certain insurance products cannot discriminate against cancer survivors will be brought before Cabinet by the end of next month.

Building on the Voluntary Code of Practice introduced by Insurance Ireland in December 2023, the Government’s approach is designed to provide legal certainty for survivors of cancer and strengthen the current voluntary framework.

To future-proof the legislation, a provision will allow for the sum-assured threshold to be reviewed in line with the Residential Property Price Index, following consultation with industry representatives, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders.

Following a meeting with the Irish Cancer Society, the Tánaiste and Minister Troy confirmed two key measures underpinning the law:

• A reduction in the required remission period from seven years to five years in line with international medical standards.
• An increase in the sum-assured threshold from €500,000 to €650,000.

The Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025 was adopted by Government in July 2025.

Since then, Government amendments to the Bill have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including the Irish Cancer Society, to introduce a statutory “right to disregard” for certain cancer-related medical history in the underwriting of mortgage protection insurance.

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD stated, “The reforms being introduced under this legislation are designed to make a meaningful difference to the lives of cancer survivors and their families.

“A cancer diagnosis should never define somebody’s financial future or inhibit them from owning their own home. For too long, this sadly has been the case.”

Nikki Gallagher, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, stated that this, “is a significant step forward to enacting ‘Right to be Forgotten after Cancer’ legislation. More and more people are now surviving cancer, so ensuring survivors can access financial products and services is crucial. Listening to the cancer community and working with affected cancer survivors, we launched the ‘Right to be Forgotten after Cancer’ campaign five years ago and we are now one step closer to legislation being enacted.”

 

NB – This is a guide for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice, please contact any of the team at Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP, whose numbers can be found on our website www.nfg.ie, or email info@nfg.ie