New law gives cancer survivors a five-year “right to be forgotten” for mortgage insurance

A new statute now obliges mortgage protection insurers to disregard any cancer-related medical history once a person has finished active treatment and remained in complete remission for five years. The rule covers policies for a principal private residence valued up to €650,000 and applies uniformly, irrespective of the age at which the cancer was diagnosed. This expands on a voluntary code introduced by Insurance Ireland in 2023, which previously required a seven-year waiting period, or five years for those diagnosed under 18, and capped coverage at €500,000.

The statutory change also raises the maximum cover amount. Insurance Ireland welcomed the reform, noting that a past cancer diagnosis should not create extra hurdles. Tánaiste Simon Harris described the law as a significant step toward protecting survivors’ financial rights.