Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance at Government of Ireland, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This afternoon the Right to Be Forgotten legislation passed all stages in the Oireachtas. It will now go to the President to be signed into law. This is the culmination of a long and determined campaign led by cancer survivors themselves. I want to thank every person who fought to make this day happen.
For too long people who have come through cancer have continued to face barriers buying a home, switching a mortgage or providing security for their families, long after their treatment had ended. That is not right and it is not fair. Today we are changing that.
This legislation places a legal obligation on insurers to disregard certain cancer-related medical histories when assessing mortgage protection applications. It replaces the old voluntary code with a proper legal framework. It gives eligible cancer survivors enforceable rights for the very first time.
We have also strengthened the Bill. We have reduced the remission period from seven years to five and increased the mortgage protection threshold from €500,000 to €650,000.
I want to acknowledge everyone whose determination made this happen, the cancer survivors who shared their experiences of the barriers they faced, Minister Catherine Ardagh TD who first brought this Bill forward, Minister of State Robert Troy who prioritised its passage and Nikki Gallagher and the Irish Cancer Society for their years of leadership on this issue. We would not be here without their advocacy.
This is their day. A day of fairness, of dignity and of hope.”
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