Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, and her officials.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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When is it proposed to take next Stage?

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Now.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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When is it proposed to take next Stage?

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Now.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I call the Minister of State to respond, I welcome to the Gallery stakeholders from the Irish Cancer Society. I welcome Ms Lydia Whelan, Ms Cliona Doyle, Ms Emma Harte, Ms Suzanne Dowd, Mr. Darragh Moriarty, Ms Krista Costello, Ms Alexis Henning-Fitzgerald and Ms Nikki Gallagher, the CEO. I thank them for being here.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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This is an historic day. It is a proud moment for any of us to come in here as representatives, whether it is as a Senator, a Deputy or a Minister of State.For a Senator to introduce legislation back in 2022 and to then see it passed today, sitting here as a Minister of State, is a fantastic achievement. I acknowledge the representatives of the Irish Cancer Society in the Public Gallery today. This legislation on the right to be forgotten is very important. The Minister of State has been passionate about the issue since I first came into the Seanad. It is great to see her sitting here today as a Minister of State, having been a Senator, as this legislation is passed. Only two months ago, she was questioning the Taoiseach in the Dáil as to when this legislation would be passed. I acknowledge her work and the group here from the Irish Cancer Society. This is an important day for all cancer survivors in the country. I acknowledge Deputy Ardagh's role in respect of the right to be forgotten over the years.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I echo my colleague's comments. The Minister of State was not here when I spoke on this a couple of weeks ago. It is on days like this that you are incredibly proud to have been elected a Senator and to be here to help pass amazing legislation that means that people who have been diagnosed with cancer but whose treatment ended more than five years ago can get financial services, including mortgage protection. I spoke to a lady last week, Edel, who was buying a house for her family with her partner. She had been quoted €600 a month for mortgage protection. When this Bill comes through, it will be €60 a month. I thank the Minister of State for bringing this forward. She might have worked with Deputy Jerry Buttimer on it at the start but she brought it through and is now sitting here, which is fantastic. I congratulate her. It is a very proud day for all of us here. The Irish Cancer Society representatives are very welcome. Many of us met them yesterday. It is lovely to get the information they give us about our own constituencies and how people are doing. I strongly encourage more young people to take up the HPV vaccine. That has nothing to do with this but the rate is at 75% and we want to get it to 90%. That is very important. Well done to everybody on their advocacy and their work. It is a great day.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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I will be brief because I spoke on the previous Bill when a different Minister of State was here. I acknowledge the work that was done on this and the engagement with all of the organisations to make sure that everybody was comfortable with where we were going. People have said that cancer strikes every family in Ireland. My own family can be included in that. This was an injustice for those who could not avail of services and opportunities because of the treatment they have had. Anything we do in this space is about addressing that injustice. It takes somebody to pick up the baton, run with it and drive it through. I congratulate the Minister of State on the work that has been done. It is very appropriate that she is here to see it through to its final conclusion. I congratulate her and I thank all of the organisations, North and South, that work in this area across Ireland. It is hugely important not just for those who suffer from cancer, but for their families, who try to assist them.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome our visitors from Tubbercurry Family and Childcare Resource Centre, who are guests of Deputy Eamon Scanlon. I also welcome visitors from Nexus Research Group, who are guests of Deputy Roderic O'Gorman.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate the Minister of State. It is on days like this that we are all proud to be in this House. The Minister of State came into this House and made a difference. This is great legislation. It is commonsense legislation that was badly needed. At home in Donegal, since my election, people have contacted me about this and told me that what is going on here is really unfair. The Minister of State has championed this issue. Fair play to her. It is great for the whole of Ireland. I thank the Irish Cancer Society. It does great work in everything that it does. When all of us here work together on days like this, we can make a difference in people's lives. It is a really historic day. This is common sense and the people on the ground need the Bill to go through this House. I thank the Minister of State very much.

Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim buíochas léi.