Operation Trace was established by the Garda Commissioner for the specific purpose of establishing whether any common denominator linked any of the cases of six women who went missing in Leinster between 1993 and 1998. In the light of the present workload relating to Operation Trace, operational reassignments have been made by the Garda Commissioner. I am informed by the Garda authorities that overall responsibility for the Operation Trace unit will still be maintained by a detective superintendent. Any new information or intelligence coming to hand will be thoroughly investigated and evalu ated and searches will be carried out whenever and wherever considered warranted.
I assure the Deputy that Garda inquiries are ongoing in relation to all missing persons. The Garda district officer of the area from which the person has gone missing takes direct responsibility for the investigation and employs all necessary investigative means, including, as required, the services of all specialist units. Moreover, a Garda liaison officer is appointed to liaise with one appointed family member and updates them on any developments that take place. In addition, an administrative and statistical function is maintained at the Missing Persons Bureau, Garda Headquarters.
The issue of a centralised Garda national missing persons unit is kept under continuous review. I understand that the Garda Commissioner considers that investigations of missing persons are more effective when they have the kind of local focus that is achieved under existing arrangements. I would emphasise, however, that all relevant Garda structures and methodologies are constantly under review.
Although the funding of a dedicated helpline and counselling services for the families of missing persons would not normally fall within the responsibilities of my Department, I have asked my Department to consider how this might be brought about either with my own Department's support or through another State-funded agency. Moreover, I understand that health boards may be in a position to offer appropriate counselling and support services to those members of a declared missing person's family who are identified as being in need of such services. I further understand that the provision of these services is, in the first instance, a matter for each health board, having regard to needs in individual cases.
