The issue of missing persons is one in which I have taken an interest since 1996, based on the disappearance of Jo Jo Dollard from the Callan, County Kilkenny, area of my constituency. It is not an issue which is confined to a small number of people. Naturally, the families concerned are the ones dealing with this situation on a day-to-day basis, suffering endless trauma and sadness because they have not found the missing persons or their bodies. It also affects the extended families and there is huge public interest in this issue.
I draw the attention of the Minister of State to the recent launch of a new crime magazine which has proven to be a huge success. Its first issue focused on the issue of missing persons. At a recent book launch of a publication entitled Searching, written by Valerie Cox, which outlined all of the issues concerning this matter and dealt with the number of people who have gone missing, 5,000 copies of that book were recorded as sold at or before the launch. That confirms the huge public interest in the matter. In my constituency, a monument has been erected in Kilkenny Castle to remind people of this issue. The attendants at the castle will confirm that there is great interest in that monument, as borne out by the number of messages and other tokens which are left in the vicinity to highlight the issue and support the families affected.
By comparison, the inaction of the State is a matter of concern. It took a visit by the family of Jo Jo Dollard to New York and Washington to highlight what is best practice there as a basis for a request to the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to take an active interest in this issue by initiating a training programme in this regard for some of the younger members of the Garda. It is possible to avail of the Jerry McCabe Foundation in New York or the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, located near Washington, which are more than willing to help with computer software and training at little or no cost.
I understand the Garda has recently decided to participate in this – but only because Mary Phelan and the Dollard family brought this to its attention. It took 18 months to get agreement from the Garda to participate in a website covering 13 other countries. I pose the question as to whether the authorities will learn from what happened in Soham and what is best practice in the UK. Will they take on board the excellent work undertaken by Hillary Clinton in the United States and begin to discuss with all of those agencies and individuals a possible model of best practice for this country?
I appreciate that not every system used abroad can be applied here. However, it should be possible to take the case of Jo Jo Dollard as a starting point for developing new concepts, technology and training for a young police force. That model should be used with a view to establishing what can be achieved in this country. In many other jurisdictions, there is an ongoing system in place to remind the public of what a person who went missing some years ago might look like at present. That is not being done in this country. No effort is being made through organisations, schools, or Garda stations throughout the country as a reminder of the 35 to 45 people currently listed as missing in Ireland. Little or no effort is being made in that regard.
A campaign is currently under way to have the helpline kept in place and funded. It costs approximately €40,000 to €50,000 per year and even that is under threat – I understand it is being reviewed. I ask the Minister of State and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to take on board the concerns which have been expressed, taking account of what is on offer from America and the UK and begin negotiations to establish to what extent it can be applied throughout the police force. I do not believe it would cost a huge amount of money.
In America, there is a public private partnership in place, whereby public companies, such as those in the computer industry, will fund the required hardware and software to record details of missing persons, access websites and publicise that information. There are separate organisations, also funded through public private partnerships, which offer ongoing information by way of milk cartons or postal handouts to local communities in various states, highlighting detailed profiles of missing persons and how they would now look. That approach has had huge success.
The request now being made requires a simple step forward. Although it may be a difficult task, I ask for a further review of the situation and the funding which can be put in place so that we can begin to help families which experience trauma and sadness every day of their lives. Little or nothing has been done. I make a special appeal for this case to be heard.