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If you’ve had cancer in the past and you’re trying to buy a home, this page is for you.
One of the biggest misunderstandings we see is that having had cancer means you won’t be able to get mortgage protection.
That’s not the case.
Even where someone doesn’t qualify for the Right to Be Forgotten, mortgage protection may still be available through normal underwriting.
And from 15 October 2026, things become considerably more favourable for many cancer survivors.
The existing voluntary Cancer Survivors Code is being replaced by statutory protection under the Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026.
In plain English, qualifying cancer survivors will have a legal right to have their cancer-related medical history disregarded when applying for mortgage protection.
Yes.
If you meet the conditions of the Right to Be Forgotten legislation, your cancer-related medical history must be disregarded when your mortgage protection application is assessed.
If you don’t meet those conditions yet, you can still apply for mortgage protection.
It simply means your cancer history will be assessed under the insurer’s normal underwriting rules.
So having had cancer does not automatically mean you cannot get cover.
There are three big changes.
| Before 15 October 2026 | From 15 October 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting period | 7 years | 5 years |
| Diagnosed under 18 | 5 years | 5 years regardless of age |
| Maximum mortgage protection | €500,000 | €650,000 |
| Protection | Voluntary industry Code | Statutory legal protection |
Say you finished active cancer treatment six years ago and have been in complete remission for six years.
If you apply before 15 October 2026, your cancer history can still be taken into account because you don’t meet the existing seven-year requirement.
If you apply from 15 October 2026, and you meet the other conditions of the legislation, your cancer-related medical history must be disregarded.
The date of your application could therefore make a significant difference to how it is assessed.
Broker Insight
The five-year rule isn’t a five-year ban on getting mortgage protection. That’s an important distinction.
We’ve arranged mortgage protection for people with previous cancer diagnoses who didn’t qualify for the Right to Be Forgotten. Before five years, your cancer history can still be underwritten, but that doesn’t automatically mean you can’t get cover.
And because insurers can assess the same cancer history differently, choosing where to apply can make a big difference.
From 15 October 2026, insurers will be required to disregard your cancer-related medical history where:
It’s worth noting that both five-year conditions matter.
It isn’t simply five years since diagnosis.
You must have completed active cancer treatment for at least five years and have been in complete remission for at least five years.
The new statutory protection applies to mortgage protection of up to €650,000.
If you need more than €650,000 of cover, normal underwriting applies above that threshold.
So needing a larger policy does not mean you cannot get cover. It means the protection applies up to €650,000, with the amount above that assessed under the insurer’s normal underwriting rules.
You can still apply for mortgage protection.
The five-year rule isn’t a rule saying you can’t get insurance before then.
It simply means you don’t yet qualify for the statutory Right to Be Forgotten, so your cancer history can be considered under the insurer’s normal underwriting rules.
Depending on the type of cancer, treatment, prognosis and time since treatment ended, an insurer may:
Different insurers can assess the same cancer history differently.
That’s why, if you don’t yet qualify for the five-year protection, it can be particularly important to consider which insurer you apply to before submitting an application.
The new legislation builds on the voluntary Cancer Survivors Code introduced by Insurance Ireland in December 2023.
Under that Code, participating insurers agreed to disregard a previous cancer diagnosis where certain conditions were met.
Generally, this required:
You’ll often hear this principle described as the “Right to Be Forgotten”.
In practice, I’ve always thought of it as being closer to a right to be ignored.
Your cancer history doesn’t disappear. Instead, once you meet the conditions, the insurer cannot use that cancer-related medical history when assessing the relevant mortgage protection application.
From 15 October 2026, that protection moves from a voluntary industry Code to a statutory framework.
Yes.
The Right to Be Forgotten does not mean you should leave your cancer history off an application.
You must answer the medical questions you are asked fully and honestly.
Where you meet the statutory conditions, the insurer must disregard the relevant cancer-related medical history when assessing the application.
The protection changes how that history can be used. It doesn’t remove your obligation to answer the questions you’re asked accurately.
There are a few things that can catch people out:
This part matters.
The statutory protection relates specifically to mortgage protection insurance for your principal private residence.
It does not give you the same right in relation to:
Those types of cover continue to be assessed under normal underwriting rules.
Not simply because you’re diagnosed with cancer.
Standard mortgage protection is life insurance designed to clear your outstanding mortgage if you die during the policy term.
Serious illness cover is different.
If you have serious illness cover as part of your policy, it may pay a lump sum following a qualifying cancer diagnosis, subject to the definitions and conditions of that policy.
If you took out mortgage protection previously and are paying a higher premium because of your cancer history, it may be worth reviewing your cover once you qualify for the new statutory protection.
It may be possible to replace your existing policy with a new policy where that cancer-related medical history must be disregarded.
However, don’t cancel an existing mortgage protection policy until any replacement cover has been fully accepted and put in place.
The new rules should make things much more straightforward where someone clearly meets the conditions.
There can still be situations that need a closer look.
For example, someone may have had more than one cancer diagnosis, treatment at different points in time, or a medical history where it isn’t immediately clear when active treatment ended or complete remission began.
And if you don’t yet meet the five-year conditions, your cancer history will still be assessed under normal underwriting rules.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get cover.
It means it’s worth understanding how the application is likely to be assessed before choosing an insurer and submitting it.
We deal with medically complicated mortgage protection applications regularly, so the first step isn’t necessarily filling in an insurer’s application form.
We’ll look at your cancer history and where you are in relation to the five-year rules.
If you qualify for the Right to Be Forgotten, we’ll make sure the application is handled on that basis.
If you don’t qualify yet, we can look at how your history is likely to be viewed by the different insurers before deciding where to apply.
The aim is simple: understand where you stand before unnecessarily submitting applications.
This is genuinely positive news for cancer survivors buying a home.
From 15 October 2026, the waiting period reduces from seven years to five years, the amount of mortgage protection covered increases from €500,000 to €650,000, and what was previously a voluntary industry Code becomes a legal protection.
If you’ve been out of active cancer treatment and in complete remission for around five to seven years, the timing of your application could now make a significant difference.
If you’re unsure where you stand, complete our cancer questionnaire and I’ll take a look before you apply.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
Why trust this guide?
Editor’s note: First published June 2023. Updated September 2026 following the commencement announcement for the Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026. The new statutory Right to Be Forgotten protections take effect on 15 October 2026.
Written by Nick McGowan, QFA RPA APA
Nick is a qualified financial advisor and founder of Lion.ie, an independent Irish life insurance and income protection brokerage based in Tullamore. He’s been helping people get fair cover for over 15 years and was named Protection Broker of the Year 2022.
If you’d like straight answers without the sales pitch, you can learn more about Nick here.
As Ireland's leading life insurance broker, we specialise in comparing the rates and policies from the top five Irish life insurance providers and offering the very best value quotes to suit the individual needs of our clients. Our expertise lies in finding a suitable insurance plan for those with specific needs, be it a particular illness, occupation or claim history, we've got you covered in every sense!
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