Cancer survivor says Right to Be Forgotten legislation will ‘go down in history’

Lydia Whelan has been speaking to Ministers Catherine Ardagh, TD, and Robert Troy, TD, about her cancer journey and how their Right to Be Forgotten legislation will have a real and lasting impact for cancer survivors.

On the latest episode of Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, both ministers praised Lydia’s courage in sharing her experience as it helped shine a light on the need for legislative change.

Lydia was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of 2024 at age 32.

The news coincided with Lydia and her partner going sale agreed on a house, but her diagnosis meant she could not be approved for mortgage protection.

She said her experience added to her stress at an already difficult time:

“I was within a week of going sale agreed and finding the lump… I had nowhere to go.”

“It felt like it was a double injustice in a sense… everything was delayed. I had a lot of questions and a lot of them were going unanswered.”

Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Catherine Ardagh, TD, who first introduced legislation on the issue through a 2022 Private Members Bill, said: “Everyone’s family has been touched by cancer, it does not discriminate.

“How I got involved in it was that my dad had cancer and I was raising issues in cancer care in the Seanad all the time.

“One lady told me when she was quoted nearly €600 a month for her life cover when she was getting her mortgage. And she was told when the new legislation comes in, that would be reduced to like €60 a month.”

Minister of State at the Department of Finance Robert Troy, TD, said the legislation was also a personal priority from the moment he entered office: “Like every family out there, cancer has affected my family. I lost two siblings to it. So, it was deeply personal. I wanted to do something for cancer survivors, and the opportunity was there, and we took it and ran.”

The new legislation means cancer survivors who have completed treatment and have been in remission for five years will no longer have to disclose their previous cancer diagnosis when applying for certain insurance products.

The legislation also increases the cover threshold from €500,000 to €650,000.

Lydia said the new law provides hope for cancer survivors planning for the future: “When I get to my five years, I won’t have to disclose it. It feels like a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I grew up on a council estate and I’m glad to say I was a part of this. It’ll go down in history.”

The discussion highlighted how the Right to Be Forgotten legislation will help ensure cancer survivors are no longer unfairly penalised for a diagnosis they have overcome, allowing them to move forward with confidence and access the same opportunities as everyone else.

The Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words podcast episode on the Right to Be Forgotten can be found by clicking here.