Robert Troy
Longford-Westmeath · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Only last weekend, I had the honour of representing the Taoiseach at the commemoration of those who had lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme. The presence of the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland was a very positive development. I understand that it was the first time she was present in Dublin for that commemoration.”
“People deserve to know and understand not just the aspiration but the implication for their livelihoods, public services and future. Transparency is something I have tried to foster during my term as Minister of State in the Department of Finance. People expect it and are savvy enough to find it themselves.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this debate on the financial implications of Irish unity. It is fair to say that it is an important discussion and one that deserves to be approached with seriousness, honesty and respect.”
“If we are serious about unity - I believe we all are - we must be equally serious about preparation. That includes asking the difficult but necessary questions, including about the role of the UK in supporting any transition, whether financial contributions over a defined period would form part of any agreement and how the EU could be inv…”
“While many will view these as barriers so as to delay and misinform, we need to realise that our island has overcome its fair share of barriers in the past and we have the capacity to overcome any barriers in the future. What we should be looking at are the opportunities that a united Ireland presents.”
“It can be secured through reassurance, actions and compromise. Deputy Lahart indicated some of the compromises that may need to be considered. From a financial perspective, we need to look for clarity. Some fundamental questions need to be addressed. What would happen to public services? How would taxation be structured?”
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“The directive prescribes that in addition to adhering to minimum rates, the excise duty rate on particular fuel types used for propellant purposes must be consistent across all propellant uses for that fuel. This means that the same mineral oil tax rate must apply to heavy oil, whether it is used as a propellant in motor vehicles, aircraft or waterborne vehicles. Ireland has no discretion in this regard, and we are simply adhering to EU law, as we must. Of course, the facts do not support the Deputy’s narrative. He is portraying a different issue as if we made a conscious decision to not exclude private jet fuel. That is not factual. It cannot be done, and the Deputy knows it, but he wants to portray his narrative, and he wants to be able to stick it up on Facebook later this evening. That is the point.”
“Deputy Doherty raised concerns with regard to the diesel rebate scheme and cash flow issues for recipients. The Government is cognisant of the current difficulties being faced by licensed operators. I would highlight that the diesel rebate scheme will provide much-needed cash flow to the sector. I can confirm that Revenue has reviewed its internal processes and identified several IT solutions, which are to be implemented to issue refunds faster to compliant taxpayers. The Deputy was also critical of the fact that reductions applied to diesel and petrol were also applied to aviation fuels. As the Deputy will be aware, because, to be fair, he is competent in his job, the taxation of energy products in Ireland is governed by the EU energy tax directive. This directive prescribes the minimum rates for fuels and fuel uses.”
“He too acknowledges the real challenges in trying to protect every single person. He would not claim to be able to do it either. I will say that what we primarily spoke about was financial literacy, credit unions, the promotion of financial services and how we can work together but he was fair in his acknowledgement of the challenges that all governments have. Each of us across the various political parties, whether talking to sister parties in Europe, or when we travel as part of our membership of the multilateral fora, knows that every single government throughout the globe is facing huge challenges in bringing in supports. It is not possible, despite how it is portrayed, to absolve and mitigate all of the effects of the energy increases.”
“It is also right and proper to say that it is not possible to offset all of the recent market-driven fuel price increases using the tax system. Some in the Opposition will say that although not all will. It is fair to say that these measures, together with the non-tax supports introduced by Government, will provide significant mitigation, supporting those who are experiencing the most acute impact of the increases in fuel prices. The total estimated cost of the support packages the Government has introduced is over €750 million, making Ireland's support package one of the largest in Europe on a per capita basis. I will say something to the Members opposite. I recently travelled to Belfast and had a very productive meeting with the their party colleague, the Minister, John O'Dowd.”
“I thank all the Deputies for their contributions today. I join in the congratulations to my colleague. It is a great honour to be elected at any stage but he will be particularly pleased to be re-elected during a by-election. I offer him my best wishes for the remainder of this term. Neither I nor anyone in Government are patting themselves on the back. We are acknowledging and outlining the measures we have introduced in response to a global issue. The one thing we can all agree on is the need to continually monitor our response to these international high energy costs. At the very beginning, when the first set of schemes, savings or supports were introduced, we said this would be kept under constant review and that we would revisit it, if needed. We did that.”
“There has already been extensive debate on these measures when they were first announced and when the subsequent financial resolutions were passed. I am fully aware of the sensitivity and topical nature of the issues at hand. I look forward to further constructive discussion on this now on Second Stage and as it progresses through the legislative process. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“This is modelled on the licensed haulage support schemes of 2022 and 2023, which were deployed to assist the sector with the higher fuel prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The road transporters support scheme will provide direct payments to hauliers, both licensed and own account. Payments are graduated, with smaller businesses receiving a proportionately greater level of support. Additionally, support for operators of Transport for Ireland's Local Link services will be available through the National Transport Authority, and support for school transport services will be facilitated by the Department of Education and Youth. The estimated cost of these additional transport sector supports is €120 million. As I said, this is a short but important Finance Bill.”
“In terms of the fuel income support scheme for farmers, foresters and contractors, which closed for applications on 2 June, it will take some time for all the relevant information to be collated to give definitive information regarding claimant numbers and likely payment amounts. This targeted and practical support package ensures that those most exposed to these increases will receive meaningful assistance at the most critical time of year. Farmers and agricultural contractors availing of the scheme will benefit from a support rate equivalent to approximately 20 cent per litre of green diesel. To further support the haulage and coach sector, the Government has also established a new road transporters support scheme, RTSS.”
“The fuel income support scheme has been introduced as a targeted income support to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers facing unprecedented increases in fuel costs. The scheme is available for fuel used over the five-month period from March up to the end of July 2026, which coincides with peak fuel usage on farms. Farmers and agricultural contractors availing of the scheme will benefit from a support rate equivalent to approximately 20 cent per litre of green diesel. The funding will be distributed proportionally, reflecting a point that was strongly emphasised in engagements with the representative farm and farm contractor groups.”
“However, the measures this Bill legislates for will provide significant mitigation, supporting households and businesses experiencing the most acute impacts of the increases in fuel prices. As I mentioned earlier, these tax measures form part of the broader package of measures Government announced in March and April this year. In March, we also extended the fuel allowance by an additional four weeks. This targeted intervention provided the 470,000 households in receipt of the fuel allowance with an additional €38 per week, totalling €152 over the four-week period on top of the annual allowance of €1,064. On 12 April, as part of the second package of supports, the Government announced a comprehensive €100 million fuel income support scheme.”
“The agreed deferral of the carbon tax increase will result in lower carbon tax revenues in 2026 than originally projected, with an estimated revenue impact of €22 million. This represents a small share of the total allocation of approximately €1.1 billion, just under 2%. The allocations set out in budget 2026 were approved by the Oireachtas and remain the voted amounts for the year. This includes carbon tax funding commitments incorporated into the national development plan, which provides medium-term budgetary certainty for the sectors and communities supported by these measures. It is not possible to offset all of the recent increases, which are driven by market forces, using the tax system.”
“Since the introduction of carbon tax increases under budget 2020, the Government has ensured that revenues raised are transparently and purposefully recycled. These investments have funded energy efficiency upgrades in homes and communities, supported decarbonisation across agriculture and transport and underpinned just transition measures. The allocations for 2026 were determined as part of budget 2026 and are consistent with the approach taken in previous years. Over €1 billion has been allocated to climate action and social protection measures, representing an increase of €163 million on the 2025 allocation. These funds are specifically targeted at measures that ensure households most exposed to energy and fuel costs are protected from unintended impacts.”
“The decision to defer the carbon tax increase was made in recognition of the sustained level of inflation that green diesel and kerosene in particular were facing. The deferral of the increase provides additional relief from price pressures to consumers of these fuels as well as consumers of natural gas and solid fuels. This decision reflects the Government’s continued commitment to balancing climate ambition with the need to mitigate the impacts on households and businesses from the energy price shock. As the Tánaiste stated at the time of the decision in April, this is the first time that we have postponed a carbon tax increase since the multi-annual trajectory of carbon tax increases was introduced in 2020 and this was not a decision that was taken lightly.”
“Taking the 2 cent NORA levy reduction into account, this brings the total reductions to 32 cent per litre for auto diesel, 27 cent per litre for petrol and 7.4 cent per litre for green diesel. We also legislated to extend all of the excise reductions until 31 July 2026. The Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment has also acted to extend the NORA levy reduction until the end of July. The estimated cost of these further excise rate reductions and the extension of the initial reductions until is €260 million. The NORA levy reduction is estimated to cost €40 million. Section 2 also provides for the deferral of the planned 1 May carbon tax increase on certain mineral oil fuels, including kerosene heating oil and marked gas oil. Sections 3 and 4 also deal with the deferral of the carbon tax increase for natural gas and solid fuels.”
“Moving to section 2, which relates to the temporary reductions in excise applying to auto diesel, petrol and green diesel and the deferral of the May carbon tax increase on certain fuels, in March, we legislated for VAT-inclusive excise reductions of 15 cent per litre for petrol, 20 cent per litre for auto diesel and 3 cent per litre for green diesel. In addition, the NORA levy was reduced by 2 cent per litre for liquid fuels such as auto diesel, petrol, green diesel and kerosene. The initial legislation provided for these temporary reductions to be effective from 25 March to 31 May at an estimated cost of €150 million in terms of revenue forgone. In April, the Government announced a further reduction of 10 cent per litre on auto diesel and petrol as well as a further 2.4 cent reduction for green diesel.”
“On 1 April 2026, Revenue opened the claim period for the enhanced rate under the rebate scheme for quarter 1. Some 1,427 claims, to the value of €10.6 million, were submitted in the period from 1 April to 5 June 2026 in respect of the first quarter of 2026. This compares with the 1,015 claims to the value of €4.9 million which were received for quarter 1 in the same filing period in 2025. I am advised by Revenue that it is currently processing these claims and has, between 1 April and 5 June, refunded 847 of those 1,427 claims to the value of €5.9 million under the enhanced rebate scheme. The estimated cost of increasing the maximum repayment from 7.5 cent to 12 cent from this six-month period is just €10 million.”
“The diesel rebate scheme rate of repayment is linked to the average retail price of auto diesel based on data from the Central Statistics Office. Since the end of 2021, a 7.5 cent per litre maximum level of rebate has applied to all claims, reflecting the relatively low price of €1.43 per litre at which the maximum rebate was given. The amendment we are speaking to today provides for an increase in the repayment cap from 7.5 cent per litre to 12 cent per litre. This enhanced or extended repayment rate applies to claims covering auto diesel purchased between 1 January and 30 June this year. The diesel rebate scheme operates on a quarterly repayment basis, with repayment claims available for submission to Revenue quarterly in arrears.”
“In 2025, close to €39 million was paid out under the scheme, providing targeted support to the road haulage and passenger transport sectors. The DRS also provides support to the wider economy, which is dependent on haulage as a distribution network. Households and other businesses benefit indirectly by virtue of reduced distribution costs. To qualify for the scheme, road haulage and passenger transport operators must have an appropriate road transport licence and be tax compliant. The auto diesel must be used in qualifying vehicles in the course of the transport operator’s business. In addition, the auto diesel must have been purchased with tax paid in the State by means of a Revenue-approved fuel card provider or in bulk for delivery to the transport operator’s business premises.”
“Section 2 deals with the temporary excise rate reductions for petrol, diesel, green diesel and the deferral of the planned 1 May carbon tax increase for mineral oil fuels. Sections 3 and 4 relate to the deferral of the planned 1 May carbon tax increase for natural gas and solid fuels. I will now turn to each section in detail. As I mentioned, section 1 relates to the diesel rebate scheme, which was introduced in 2013 to provide support for essential road users at times when the price of auto diesel was relatively high. The diesel rebate scheme, DRS, is permitted under Article 7 of the energy tax directive, subject to the conditions set out in the directive. The scheme provides qualifying road haulage and passenger transport operators with a partial repayment of mineral oil tax paid on auto diesel.”
“It is also important to again emphasise the importance of ensuring that our response needs to be measured and not risk second-round inflationary impacts. I will briefly outline the elements of the support packages covered in the Finance Bill. These measures were debated in the House on 24 March and 14 April when the financial resolutions to give them temporary effect were approved. I thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach for its constructive engagement to date on the outline of the Bill, which means these important measures can move as quickly as possible through the legislative process. The Bill is quite short, consisting of four substantive sections. Section 1 provides for the increase in the maximum repayment rate under the diesel rebate scheme.”
“The tax measures, which we will discuss today, are alone estimated to cost €442 million in terms of revenue foregone. As the House will be aware, this substantial package, which is one of the largest in Europe, was introduced following the energy price shocks caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The factors that have brought us here are far from our shores and beyond our control, but as a Government we have acted to mitigate the impacts across society with a broad range of measures. Some of the measures, like the diesel rebate scheme and the fuel allowance extension, are targeted, while others are more broad reaching, such as the excise rate reductions. As we have stated previously, no government can entirely eliminate the impacts of such a broad-reaching crisis.”
“The role of Government in these circumstances is to spread the burden to ensure that the most exposed sectors are partly shielded. We must also mitigate the impact on those least able to absorb the price changes. I stress that this is about burden sharing and not full absorption. No government in the world can absorb all of the price shock. Governments should not chase inflation when at full employment as this can lead to far greater economic problems over the longer term. We think we have struck the appropriate balance between delivering timely support while at the same time ensuring that the public finances remain on a sustainable trajectory. The combined energy support packages, which also included measures outside of the Bill under discussion today, is estimated to cost over €750 million.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which is relatively short and covers the tax aspects of the energy support measures announced by the Government in March and April this year. I will first say a few words about the wider economic landscape. As Deputies are aware, the global economy is facing its second major energy price shock in less than five years. As a small, highly open economy and a net energy importer, Ireland is naturally exposed to movements in international energy prices. The disruption to energy supplies that we have seen to date has already fed into higher and more volatile energy prices with direct consequences for households and businesses.”
“This is a matter that has been raised by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, as well as by Deputy Cahill this evening. Indeed, I have heard both members of the Opposition and Government raise this matter on a number of occasions. It is about striking the right balance and taking into account how far we can afford to go in any particular year, while acknowledging the perceived inequities that are there currently.”
“He told me the meeting was a productive conversation and he understands the concerns raised along with the burden of capital taxation. He is committed to having ongoing engagement with this group. The tax strategy group paper is looking at CAT this year across a number of areas, including thresholds levels. That paper is expected to be published in late June or early July. It will provide assistance to the Tánaiste and the wider Government as they prepare for whatever budgetary decisions will be taken later this year. It is worth noting that any increase or widening of the CAT thresholds will have costs and will be part of the annual budgetary considerations and process. Obviously, it will be competing with other budgetary demands.”
“I thank the Deputy. I listened carefully to the points he raised. I am aware that this is an area of concern for many people. Indeed, James Sexton, whom we mentioned earlier, has led a well-documented campaign, End Discrimination in Inheritance Tax. He will be presenting to our parliamentary party tomorrow evening on it, and he has been presenting in the audiovisual room at Leinster House as well. This issue has been raised by many people in this House. As I mentioned before, the Government increased the thresholds in the Finance Act 2024. These increases amount to an increase of approximately 19.4% on group A, while the thresholds for groups B and C increased by 23%. The Tánaiste met with the End Discrimination in Inheritance Tax group, which, as I have said, is an advocacy group in relation to this matter.”
“The capital acquisition tax group thresholds are kept under review annually by officials throughout the Finance Bill cycle.”
“These costs have been updated recently and it is estimated that such a change could now cost in the region of €349 million. The tax strategy group paper was published in advance of the budget and is the best means of considering issues such as inheritance tax in an analytical and transparent way. The tax strategy group is not a decision-making body and the papers produced by the Department of Finance are simply a list of options and issues to be considered in the budgetary process. Officials intend to include a further update of this matter in the tax strategy group papers later this year. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and assure him that the Tánaiste is conscious of the burden of capital taxation and continues to engage with his officials on these matters.”
“It should also be borne in mind that where a person receives gifts or inheritances that are in excess of the relevant tax-free threshold, CAT at a rate of 33% applies on the excess benefit. It is important to be aware that there are significant costs associated with increasing the existing thresholds. For instance, a €100,000 increase in threshold A to €500,000 would cost in the region of €86.6 million, while an increase in threshold B to €60,000 would cost approximately €70.1 million. Last year in the CAT tax strategy group, TSG, paper, Department of Finance officials reviewed idea of combining thresholds A and B to bring relatives such as nephews, nieces, brothers and sisters within the scope of the higher threshold. As part of this exercise Revenue estimated the cost of merging group B with group A to be €305 million.”
“The group A threshold, which in general applies where the beneficiary is a child of the disponer, increased to €400,000 from €335,000. It is useful to note that the definition for children for CAT purposes includes any stepchildren, adopted children or certain foster children. All can avail of the group A threshold in respect of gifts and inheritances received from that disponer. The Group B threshold increased to €40,000 from €32,500. This threshold applies where the beneficiary is a brother, sister, niece, nephew, lineal ancestor or lineal descendant such as a grandchild of the disponer. The group C threshold increased to €20,000 from €16,250, with this threshold applying in all other cases.”
“I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this matter in the House today. I also acknowledge his advocacy on this issue since his election to Dáil Éireann. Capital acquisitions tax, CAT, is a beneficiary-orientated tax that is payable by the recipient of a gift or inheritance as opposed to the person providing that gift or inheritance. CAT plays an important role in ensuring that we maintain a broad tax base. It raised €854 million in 2024 and approximately €1.1 billion in 2025. For CAT purposes, the relationship between the person giving a gift or inheritance, the disponer, and the person who receives it, the beneficiary, determines the maximum amount, known as the group threshold, below which CAT does not arise. The Finance Act 2024 increased each threshold, and the estimated cost was €88 million annually.”
“There are great opportunities there. There is an ambition by the credit union movement to exploit those opportunities and I want to help it to make sure it does just that.”
“The credit union is an extremely trusted financial institution. In fact, for ten years in a row the credit union movement has have been awarded the ranking of the most reputable brand. There are huge opportunities based on the very trust its members have in its service. We have already seen that the amended lending regulations has given credit unions opportunities in both the mortgage space and the SME lending space, and there is an appetite there to exploit the opportunities that exist. I have been very strong in requesting the participation of the local enterprise offices and the chamber of commerce representative bodies, as I go around engaging with various regional workshops, to ensure we hear from business representatives to see what type of products they require so that the credit union can fill that gap.”
“I could not agree more. Certainly, since my appointment, I have been struck, as I go around the country visiting different credit unions, just how in tune they are with their members' needs and how ambitious they are to meet the enhanced needs of the communities they represent. That is why the amended lending regulations, which came in on 30 September last year, offer a huge opportunity to the credit union movement to really compete in the mortgage sector and in the SME lending sector. As I work with the sector to develop a five-year strategy, I am engaging in a series of consultation events with the credit union movement to see what more we can do to ensure we put this critical financial institution on a long-term sustainable footing for the next five years.”
“The regulations increased the lending limits to 30% of total assets for mortgages and 15% for business loans, thereby enabling credit unions to expand their offerings and compete more effectively in these markets. Based on sector assets of €22.5 billion at the end of 2025, these changes permit up to €6.8 billion in mortgage lending and up to €3.4 billion in business lending.”
“This strategy will build on the foundations of the Credit Union (Amendment) Act and the Central Bank’s lending reforms, and will focus on establishing a shared vision and a clear strategic direction for the sector, primarily within the existing legislative and regulatory framework. The Credit Union (Amendment) Act 2023 introduced significant reforms aimed at strengthening and modernising the sector and broadening the range of services available to members. Key measures include loan referrals, loan participation and provisions relating to the establishment of a corporate credit union. Amended lending regulations, which commenced on 30 September 2025, significantly enhanced the lending capacity of credit unions.”
“The Government is committed to supporting the continued development and expansion of the credit union sector, recognising, as the Deputy does, its important role in providing community-based financial services. A range of legislative and regulatory measures have been delivered and the focus now is on the development of a new five-year strategy for the credit union sector. On 19 April, I formally announced the commencement of the credit union strategy project. This programme for Government commitment will, for the first time, deliver a sector-wide approach to future-proof the credit union movement and allow the sector to address challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities.”
“There have been three new players in the past number of years. That is success. There is more competition in the market. Only one in four people shops around and of those, 76% achieve savings. This will enable people to get better premiums on their insurance policies. We will keep the matter under review. It is a success. The Deputy can never acknowledge any progress.”
“That is a welcome development. There were a couple of years where there were increases. We are still 35% lower than we were at the peak. That is a success. The reason we re-established the action plan on insurance reform was that we acknowledged there was more work to be done. We are doing that. The transparency code has been published in a timely and efficient manner. Consumers will see the benefit of that code in their renewals come quarter 3 of this year. The last time the Deputy raised the question with me regarding his insurance premium he spoke about how it has increased, but when he shopped around he got a lower one. The simple fact of the matter is that not enough people are shopping around. We now have ten insurance companies providing insurance cover in the motor insurance sector in Ireland.”
“This will enable consumers to see exactly how their policy is charged and to shop around to ensure they get the best value for money in their policy.”
“As the Deputy will be aware, we are implementing the second action plan on insurance reform. Reforms are working. The latest CSO data of April 2026 shows that in the year to date insurance premiums are 2.2% lower this year than in April 2025. The Deputy may want to dispute that figure. Premiums are still 35.8% lower than they were at the peak of 2016. I acknowledge that we need to keep a close focus on this to ensure we continue to see a downward move. This transparency code will help to achieve that. Some 2.2 million policyholders will see the benefit of this code in their quotations and renewal documents from quarter 3 of this year. Despite the fact that it is a voluntary code, 97.5% of insurers and intermediaries selling insurance in this State have already signed up to it.”
“This report will be on the Central Bank's observations on firms' adherence to the code and the effect the code is having in achieving its objectives. If it fails to achieve the objectives, we are, of course, open to putting it on a legislative footing.”
“The Central Bank's administrative sanctions procedure will be applicable in respect of non-compliance with the revised CPC. The voluntary nature of the code allows for an appropriate balance between transparency and the protection of commercially sensitive information. The code has been carefully designed to provide meaningful insight to consumers into how premiums are calculated, while ensuring that firms are not required to disclose information that could undermine competition or market functioning. While the code is not subject to the administrative sanctions procedure, there remains a clear framework for oversight and monitoring. The Central Bank will provide a report to the Minister for Finance in advance of the first review of the code, which will take place within 18 months of implementation.”
“The motor insurance transparency code was launched as a priority measure under the Government action plan for insurance reform from 2025 to 2029 to enhance transparency, clarity and consumer understanding in the motor insurance market. The code was developed by a working group comprising insurers and intermediaries with the support of the Department of Finance and the Central Bank. The code is designed to complement, rather than duplicate, existing regulatory requirements. It sits under the legislative umbrella of the Central Bank of Ireland's consumer protection code, CPC, and aligns with relevant disclosure requirements and requirements to inform customers effectively. The revised CPC came into effect on 24 March this year and is legally binding on insurance companies and intermediaries.”
“Its members asked me to go and speak on this in Brussels to advocate the Irish position internationally. It is the right position. Let us stay united on this when it comes to Committee Stage next week.”
“I thank Deputy Ardagh for her advocacy and for pushing this to the fore at every opportunity she could. As the Deputy said, one of her first times to speak in the Dáil having been elected was introducing the Private Members' business. The Deputy enabling me to adopt that Bill has enabled us bring it forward to where it is today. I would have liked to have done it faster. Certainly, there are things we can learn from that. It is a positive news day for cancer survivors. With the support of the House, we will introduce it on Committee Stage next week. I would ask members of the Opposition to not submit amendments for the sake of it. We have arrived at this. All the key stakeholders welcome this. The Irish Cancer Society welcomes this. I spoke at the All-Island Cancer Research Institute's summit in Croke Park on Tuesday. It welcomes this.”
“Deputy Ardagh said a sum of €96 million was insured under the voluntary code and that 100% of the people who met the criteria were offered cover at the standard rates. So, credit where credit is due, the insurance companies introduced a voluntary code and it was working. We are going further, with the reduction in the term from seven years to five years and increasing the cost cover from €500,000 to €650,000. We have worked well together collectively. This is a very positive day, as Deputy Ardagh has said, for cancer survivors. Sometimes you get up here and you talk about legislation and you wonder what the tangible benefits are for the people whom we are so honoured to represent in this House. There is very tangible benefit for cancer survivors.”
“We have arrived at this position because it is proportionate and because it will not have unintended consequences for everybody else's policy. Of course we could put it at one year, but what impact would that have on the cost of mortgage protection for every other policy that has been taken out? Let us keep working in the spirit of what we have arrived at with this Bill today. Many people spoke about the insurance industry, maybe in derogatory terms, and sometimes they deserve the criticism they get in this House but, to their credit and in fairness, they did introduce a voluntary code on the back of the work that then Senators Ardagh, Gavan and Buttimer introduced in the Seanad. The industry did introduce a voluntary code that worked. We are now going further than the voluntary code from seven years to five years.”
“That is what this Bill is about, making a very positive difference to the lives of cancer survivors, ensuring fairness and ensuring dignity, as Deputy Ardagh has said. I ask Members of the Opposition not to put in amendments just for the sake of it to say they are trying to do better than what the Government is doing. We arrived at this position after really intensive negotiations and after looking at international best practice. In Italy the term is ten years. In Portugal and Italy the term is ten years, as it is in the Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Luxembourg. In Slovenia, Romania and Czechia the term is seven years. The three other countries with terms of five years are France, Belgium and Spain. There is a reason why we are here. Many other countries do not have this at all.”
“I thank all Deputies who contributed to the debate this evening. I acknowledge patients, survivors and families for whom cancer has impacted their lives. There is not a family in this country that have not been impacted by cancer, my own included. I think of my two siblings who I lost to cancer many years ago. Perhaps that was one of the driving forces that meant I wanted to do something positive when I was in a role to do something that can make a difference to cancer survivors. Deputy Ardagh has been very generous with her praise of me but I think of everybody who has worked together to bring us to where we are today. It just goes to show that when we do work collectively with key stakeholders and advocacy groups as a collective of people within the Dáil, we can make a very positive difference to people's lives.”