Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests in the Chamber this afternoon. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I welcome this Bill. I was proud to second the First Stage of this Bill in the Seanad a few weeks ago. I recognise the work of Senator Ardagh in particular, her colleague Senator Buttimer and my own colleague, Deputy Guirke, who has also been a champion of this Bill. As others have mentioned, when this Chamber works on a cross-party basis, we can often get a lot done. This Bill, as has been mentioned, seeks to amend the current legislation to ensure that five years after finishing treatment, someone who had a cancer diagnosis will not have to declare their previous diagnosis. The Irish Cancer Society has shown its support for the Bill. I am sure thousands of cancer survivors will be relieved if the legislation is changed. I am glad that there has been cross-party support for this Bill. I thank the cross-party group on cancer for pushing forward with it. The right to be forgotten legislation is not something new. European countries such as France, Portugal and the Benelux countries have been leading on this issue. A colleague of ours, Kathleen, told me about her own experience recently.I thank her for giving me permission to read her words in the Chamber this afternoon. Here is what she said to me:

At the age of 24, I had Thyroid cancer. Within weeks I had the surgery and iodine treatment which cured me. I have been cancer free for almost 20 years.

Earlier this year my husband and I got terrific news that we finally had mortgage approval. We found a house and went sale agreed. We then spoke with our broker about mortgage protection. Immediately, I was advised that my history of cancer meant there might be an issue. A few weeks later my GP was asked to send off a medical report.

Weeks later again the insurance company decided they were not satisfied and requested further test results. I spent hundreds of euros running around getting scans and blood tests done privately getting urgent appointments.

At one point the vendors were indicating that they might pull out if we couldn't get things finalised. I was in floods of tears. It had taken us so many years to get to the point where we could finally afford to buy a home - we had been stuck in the rental trap for so long - and I couldn't believe this was happening.

Thankfully the insurance did get approved in the end but not before I felt sick with the stress. I felt like I was being punished.

The insurance company put me through the wringer and it was completely unnecessary - and it was cruel.

The thing that many cancer survivors will say is, that the hardest part, mentally, of dealing with that whole part of your life is in the immediate aftermath of being cancer free. How to move on with your life. How to act like everything is normal again. How to let go of the fear.

But most people do eventually build their life again and learn to forget about the fear that cancer instils in you. It is only fair that having moved on with our lives that insurance and finance companies forget about our cancer too. Cancer survivors do not deserve to keep being punished.

I again thank Cathleen for giving me her permission to tell her story, which clearly shows why it is so important that we deal with this issue today. I agree with Senator Buttimer about Committee Stage. We should be creative in making sure the committee works diligently on this Bill. I also agree with Senator Ardagh that we should not delay this Bill. The way cross-party motions and Bills work is that we all agree on the Bill and we support it and move it through the process. I was concerned to hear that a potential delay of 12 months is being proposed by the Government. I appeal to the Minister of State not to do that because it is not necessary. There are plenty of opportunities across both Houses to give this Bill the scrutiny it deserves. If we run out of time today, which looks like a possibility now, I would ask the Leader - I am delighted she is present - for early scheduling so we can finish Second Stage of this Bill and get behind it. None of us should play politics with a Bill like this, given the lives and suffering I and others have just described. All of us support this Bill. It is in the Minister of State's power to ensure this Bill passes Second Stage swiftly. I hope I speak on behalf of everyone when I ask him to please not delay this Bill.