Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-24
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Robert Troy (FF), Longford-Westmeath

I thank the Senators. There is no point in rehashing the issues. It is heartening to see that we can all come together and work collaboratively on legislation that will make a positive difference to so many families. As all speakers, me included, alluded to, this is something that has affected every family in Ireland, unfortunately, down through the decades. Thankfully, because of the focus of medical research, a diagnosis of cancer is not the life-ending diagnosis that it once was. More and more people, having gone through their treatment, are going on to live full, normal lives thereafter. This legislation is enabling that by ensuring that one of the barriers that was there heretofore is removed. People coming through that fight, getting the diagnosis of being cancer free and going on to try to put a life together were hit with another barrier. The Bill is removing that barrier.
It is a very positive development. I particularly want to thank the advocacy groups and the cancer survivors who brought this to our attention and have been so strong in ensuring that we have kept a razor-sharp focus on this. I also thank the officials in the Department because I was like a dog with a bone for the past 12 months in terms of where we were at and moving it quicker. Due to that, and because of the work the now Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, did in the last Seanad and in the early stages of this Dáil, we are here today. It is a positive development. I thank the Members who came into the Seanad to contribute. I look forward to coming back in a few short weeks for Committee and Report Stages. This will enable it to be passed over to the President for signing, which will ensure that those families the Senator mentioned earlier will be able to access fair and affordable mortgage protection so that they can move on with their lives. Go raibh maith agat, Acting Chairperson.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-24