Sir, – Dominic Coyle has written about the new voluntary code of practice agreed by Irish life insurers, highlighting that cancer survivors will no longer be locked out of the mortgage protection market (“Cancer survivors to gain access to mortgage protection after years of refusal”, Your Money, June 7th).
The details of the new code published last week by Insurance Ireland are to be welcomed. However, a voluntary code of conduct by its very nature is not legally binding. It is imperative that we move beyond mere guidelines and establish binding legislation that ensures proper enforcement.
Over 200,000 people in Ireland are living beyond a cancer diagnosis, many of whom have already experienced considerable medical, psychological, and financial challenges in their survivorship journey.
It is not enough to rely solely on the voluntary cooperation of insurance companies. Robust oversight, penalties for non-compliance, and regular audits should be established to hold these entities accountable.
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A recent study from the Irish Cancer Society has shown that nearly a quarter of people in Ireland affected by cancer are not able to even get so much as a quote for a range of financial products and services.
That’s why I have been pushing for a legally binding “right to be forgotten” clause for cancer survivors to be included in the forthcoming update of the EU’s rules on consumer credit. In January of this year, I was delighted to learn that the European Parliament and European Council agreed to include my amendments on a “right to be forgotten” clause for insurance products in the new legislation.
Now it is time to ensure that the “right to be forgotten” is implemented nationally.
No one should have to pay twice for their cancer diagnosis. – Yours, etc,
DEIRDRE CLUNE MEP,
(Fine Gael),
European Parliament,
Brussels.