Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

I ask that time be provided for a Private Members' Bill I introduced before Christmas, colloquially known as the right to be forgotten Bill, in order that it could proceed to Second Stage. The Bill seeks to prohibit financial service providers from discriminating against cancer survivors who have completed treatment and have reached key milestones. It aims to ensure that a person's past illness does not continue to unfairly restrict their access to life insurance or other financial products. The Bill progressed to Committee Stage in the previous Seanad in Private Members' time with strong cross-party support, support from the Irish Cancer Society and the backing of a former Minister for Finance. It also gives effect to a clear commitment in the programme for Government to enshrine the right to be forgotten for cancer survivors in Irish law. Cancer survivors deserve to move on with their lives without facing ongoing barriers rooted in their medical past. I urge the new Minister for Finance to prioritise this legislation and ensure time is allocated for its advancement.

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