Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-08
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Catherine Ardagh (FF), Dublin South-Central

I take this opportunity to thank everyone here and acknowledge the constructive spirit in which Members have engaged with this Bill since 2022. There is a shared recognition across the Houses that this legislation will make a meaningful difference in people's lives, as described by Senator Nelson Murray.
Today marks a significant step forward for cancer survivors in Ireland. This legislation will give people who have overcome cancer fair access to mortgage protection without being penalised for their medical past. Mortgage protection is one of the areas where cancer survivors are most impacted. Having worked as a solicitor, I have seen house purchases fall through because a cancer survivor could not get mortgage protection at the last minute. This is unnecessary heartbreak for people who have already been through a great deal. Many Members here today know the real and lasting impact cancer has on individuals and families. It is something that touches almost every household in this country. It does not discriminate. The Bill is about fairness, dignity and giving cancer survivors the freedom to truly move on with their lives. It is about ensuring that people who have come through cancer are not forced to retain their diagnosis as a barrier to securing a home, to protecting their family or to moving forward with their lives.
This legislation seeks to remove that unjust barrier. It provides, for the first time in Irish law, a clear statutory right to have cancer-related medical history disregarded when applying for mortgage protection insurance where defined criteria are met. After our initial Bill in the Seanad, Insurance Ireland brought in a voluntary code. The Government has now gone further than the voluntary code that is currently in place, reducing the relevant period from seven years to five years and increasing the sum-assured threshold from €500,000 to €650,000 to reflect the current housing market to support survivors to buy homes.
The five-year remission period reflects established medical standards and the point at which the risk of recurrence is significantly reduced. A lot of people in other countries are looking at us. Across Europe, we see a range of approaches. In some countries, the relevant remission period extends to ten years. In others, it is only seven. Only a small number of member states have adopted the five-year approach. Many countries have not introduced any framework at all.
The approach taken in this Bill is progressive and proportionate. It ensures meaningful protection for cancer survivors while also recognising the need for the framework to operate effectively and sustainably within the insurance market. It is also right that we acknowledge the role played by the insurance sector to date. It often gets a bad name. Insurance Ireland's voluntary code represented an important step forward. It demonstrated that progress was possible when industry, Government and advocates engaged constructively.
The legislation gives effect to a programme for Government commitment and it is a measure I have prioritised since taking office. It was the first Private Member's Bill I introduced when elected to Dáil Éireann. I acknowledge the contribution of the wide range of stakeholders who have been instrumental in the development of the legislation. These include: the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government; the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman; Insurance Ireland; the Irish Society of Medical Oncology; the Society of Actuaries in Ireland; officials from the Department of Finance, including Sarah Murphy and her colleague, Michael McGrath; and other EU member states that have similar measures in place. Their engagement, expertise and co-operation have been essential in ensuring that this Bill is robust, balanced and practical.
I also pay special tribute to cancer survivors - Lydia Whelan and other survivors are here with us - and to their families, who have been affected and who have kept a strong and determined focus on this issue via the Irish Cancer Society. Their voices have been central to getting to this point. From conversations I have had and letters I have received, I know just how much this legislation means to people. I also thank, from the Irish Cancer society; Nikki Gallagher, the current CEO; Averil Power, the former CEO; Rachel Murrough, the former head of advocacy, who was there from the beginning; Steve Dempsey, the current head of advocacy; and all of the staff. I thank them for their long-standing advocacy not just on this matter, but on all cancer-related matters. It is hugely appreciated by the cancer community. I do not like using that phrase but it is appreciated by families and patients affected by cancer and by survivors. I thank them all so much for all of their hard work. I also acknowledge Adrian O'Higgins, who was the original drafter of the Bill.
This Bill was a cross-party Bill. It came from the cross-party group on cancer. Deputy Johnny Guirke, a colleague of Senator Murphy's, was on it, as were Deputies Peter Burke and Jerry Buttimer of Fine Gael, Deputies Erin McGreehan, Dara Calleary and John Lahart from my own party, and Deputy Ivana Bacik. There was cross-party support for the Bill from the very get-go.
Former Senator Paul Gavan was one of the co-sponsors of this Bill in the Seanad when it was introduced. This is how legislation should be done. We are a small country. When we all work together, we can see true results that remedy the injustice we have in our society.
The work of those involved has helped to ensure that the lived experience of cancer survivors remains at the heart of legislation. Ultimately, I thank our Ministers in the Department of Finance, the Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy, and An Tánaiste, Simon Harris. If it had not been for them adopting the legislation, it would not be here today. They deserve huge credit for pushing this Bill within their Department.
The Bill cannot erase the challenges faced by individuals and families, but it can remove an unjust barrier and help to ensure that surviving cancer truly marks the beginning of a new chapter. The Bill will make a real difference to cancer survivors, supporting them in accessing mortgage protection and insurance and, in turn, enabling them to plan for their future and secure homes. That matters deeply. It is simply the right thing to do.
I thank Senators once again for their contributions, support, and constructive engagement, and wish the very best to everyone whose lives have been affected by cancer and will be able to avail of the framework this legislation puts in place, like the Senator's constituent. I wish them very well. I thank everyone present for their support and their contributions. I also thank Senator Casey for his kind words.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-08/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:10+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-08