Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 1

Written Answers - Missing Persons.

Dan Neville

Question:

491 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Government will provide a help line to families of missing people (details supplied). [11469/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

492 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties experienced by people who, following the disappearance of a relative without trace, attempt to maintain a voluntary contact service; the costs associated with the provision of such a service both in terms of time and expenditure; if the Government will establish a national help line service to assist in the location and possible recovery of people who have gone missing without trace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11726/01]

Nora Owen

Question:

495 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans his Department has to initiate the establishment of a help line for families of missing persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12446/01]

Brian O'Shea

Question:

500 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals he has to provide a help line (details supplied) to assist the families of missing persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11425/01]

Gay Mitchell

Question:

505 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a help line available to the families of missing persons (details supplied) in Dublin 14. [11520/01]

Jack Wall

Question:

514 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans he has to provide funding for a special help line regarding missing persons; the facilities available in his Department to deal with this matter; the link between his Department and the Garda in relation to the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11578/01]

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

521 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will set up a help line for relatives of missing persons in order to assist in the search for those who have disappeared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11718/01]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

522 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will re-introduce a help line for assisting in the search for missing persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11719/01]

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

523 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will fund a help line for the relatives of those missing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11720/01]

Richard Bruton

Question:

540 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he received a letter from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 14 seeking a programme of support to assist the families of persons who are missing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11935/01]

John V. Farrelly

Question:

542 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of missing persons registered here at present; if he will immediately put in place a freephone help line for the families of these missing people; if he has proposals to alleviate the hardship caused in these situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11963/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 491, 492, 495, 500, 505, 514, 521, 522, 523, 524, 540 and 542 together.

I have spoken in the House on many occasions on the subject of missing persons. As I have indicated before, the deployment of Garda resources and the investigative methods used in missing persons cases are matters for the Garda Commissioner. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Síochána does all in its power to locate all missing persons and that they do provide considerable support for families.

The Garda authorities assure me that the effectiveness of the working methods and procedures employed in missing persons cases are continually reviewed. As a result of this, substantial changes were made in 1998 such as the introduction of new guidelines and procedures which place a particular emphasis on keeping the families of missing persons informed by a liaison officer who deals with a designated family member.

We know from the Garda statistics that approximately 99% of those reported missing in any year are accounted for by the end of the year. We must realise that not all of the people who go missing do so in suspicious circumstances, which would be of interest to the Garda. While An Garda Síochána has a website which gives details of certain missing persons, I do not consider it appropriate that either the Garda or my Department would run a help line specifically for this purpose but I would emphasise that the Garda do maintain close liaison with the families of missing persons.

I am further informed by the Garda authorities that the number of persons who were untraced at the end of each year, from 1990 to 1999, the last year for which published figures are available, is as follows:

Year	Number untraced at year end
1990	10
1991	11
1992	7
1993	9
1994	12
1995	17
1996	9
1997	3
1998	10
1999	16