The Right to Be Forgotten: Cancer Survivors Deserve Better – Call to Action
This Call to Action, issued by Irish cancer support centres and national/international organisations including Cancer Patients Europe, urges the Irish Government to reject a proposed voluntary Code of Conduct with insurance companies and instead enact binding legislation protecting cancer survivors’ Right to Be Forgotten. The document highlights that 1 in 2 people in Ireland will be diagnosed with cancer, yet survivors face ongoing financial discrimination even after 5+ years cancer-free, with sky-high insurance premiums or outright denials for mortgages and loans. The Call criticises the exclusion of cancer patients from Code negotiations, notes that the voluntary agreement lacks enforcement mechanisms or legal protection, and contrasts Ireland’s approach with binding legislation already in place in France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal. Co-signed by 23 organisations including East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support, European Initiative on Ending Discrimination Against Cancer Survivors, EAU, Youth Cancer Europe, and CPE.