Vol. 536 No. 6
129 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made to date in the Garda investigation, Operation Trace, into the disappearance and suspected murder of a number of women in the Leinster area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15015/01]
With regard to the Garda investigation into the disappearance of a number of women in the Leinster area, Operation Trace was established by the Garda Commissioner for the specific purpose of establishing whether any common denominator linked any of the six women who went missing in Leinster between 1993 and 1998. I am sure that the House will appreciate the difficulties that the Garda Síochána faces in investigating these cases, as there is no crime scene available for analysis and, hence, there is a complete lack of forensic or pathology evidence. Each of the cases under review by Operation Trace was originally investigated in depth by the Garda Síochána in the locality of the disappearance. Operation Trace has comprehensively reviewed each of these cases and has yielded new lines of inquiries which have been pursued in conjunction with the original investigation teams. Furthermore, a unique database has been devised which facilitates the cross referencing of information generated by each case. While progress has been slow and time-consuming, the Garda authorities consider that the operation has been worthwhile.
Question No. 130 answered with Question No. 70.
