Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2006
436 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons reported missing each year since 1995 to date in 2006 who have since been accounted for and who it was suspected or confirmed were the victims of crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23864/06]
View answer437 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons reported missing each year from 1995 to date in 2006 who had a known history of psychiatric illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23865/06]
View answer438 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 159 of 2 February 2006 and his statement (details supplied), he has identified an existing service that the Missing Persons Helpline could be provided as an add on to; the efforts he has made to identify such a service; his views on the need for the re-establishment of a missing persons helpline to accommodate the needs of missing persons and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23866/06]
View answer439 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the services which are available for the families of missing persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23909/06]
View answer440 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of money allocated to services connected with searching for and seeking information on the whereabouts of missing persons each year from 1995 to date in 2006; the way in which this funding was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23910/06]
View answer441 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amounts expended by his Department in funding the Missing Persons Helpline during its operation; the dates between which this funding was expended; if this money was provided directly to the Missing Persons Helpline or indirectly through another organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23911/06]
View answer442 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons reported missing each year since 1995 to date in 2006 who have been accounted for as deceased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23912/06]
View answer443 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the purpose of the report commissioned by his Department and carried out by the Department of Social Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, at the end of 2003 regarding the Missing Persons Helpline; if he will implement all recommendations contained in that report; the consideration he has given to service provision for missing persons and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23913/06]
View answer445 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the persons who were accounted for as having died during their time as missing persons of those reported missing between 1995 and 2006; the official causes of death; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23941/06]
View answer446 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of money used to fund the report commissioned by his Department to review the Missing Persons Helpline, as conducted by the Dublin Institute of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23942/06]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 436 to 443, inclusive, and 445 and 446 together.
Funding of €110,000 in respect of a National Missing Persons Helpline, made available by my Department in 2002 and 2003, was channelled through the Victim Support organisation, an independent, non-governmental organisation with charitable status. This funding was in addition to the ongoing funding that that organisation received for the provision of services to victims of crime. This funding was provided subject to the conditions that no funding beyond the year 2003 should be implied and audited accounts should be provided to my Department on a calendar year basis. To date, no audited accounts have been received in my Department.
The Victim Support organisation received financial support from my Department from 1985 to 31 March 2005, during which period almost €5.5 million was made available.
The Missing Persons Helpline operated from the headquarters of Victim Support alongside Victims Support's own helpline for victims of crime. The conditions under which the Department provided funding did not include any requirements concerning the operational activities of the Helpline, such as the strategy of the Helpline. Any decision relating to the operation of the Helpline were made by Victim Support which managed the operation of the Helpline in conjunction with the Helpline itself.
As a matter of good practice in the handling of public money, my Department required that an independent evaluation of the Helpline should be undertaken after the first year of its operation and submitted to my Department. The operational details in relation to the evaluator and costings were a matter for Victim Support.
In March 2005, I decided that continued funding of the Victim Support organisation could no longer be justified due to serious concerns in relation to governance, accountability for public funds and poor service levels, after a lengthy period of instability within the organisation. I understand that Victim Support closed down its headquarters operation during 2005 and that a number of staff were made redundant, including the person employed to operate the Missing Persons Helpline. My Department had no role in the decision of Victim Support to make a number of its staff redundant, other than to insist that statutory requirements (notice, holiday pay, etc.) be met and that the interests of the staff be protected.
Also in March 2005, I established a new Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime to devise an appropriate support framework for victims of crime into the future and to disburse funding for victim support measures. The Commission is entirely independent in its decision making and examines each application on its merits. The Commission received an application from Missing in Ireland Support Service for €71,600 to establish, staff and operate a helpline for missing persons. After careful consideration of the application the Commission decided to offer funding of €25,000. However, this offer was rejected by the Missing in Ireland Support Service. It should be borne in mind in this context that the Commission is charged with funding support services for victims of crime, and that, while some persons who are missing are crime victims, most are not.
It remains open to the Missing In Ireland Support Service to make an application to my Department for assistance if they so wish. I have been advised by the Commission that no request has been made to them by the Missing in Ireland Support Service to review the funding as allocated in 2005 nor for funding in 2006.
The disappearance of any person is traumatic for their family and friends, and for this reason I am anxious to assist them in any way I can. I am of the view that a helpline for this purpose is best set up on an independent basis and by a non-official, voluntary organisation. Any proposals for funding for such a purpose which are made to my Department will be carefully considered on their merits.
The Missing Persons Bureau in Garda Headquarters is responsible for maintaining data relating to missing persons. All cases of a person reported missing in suspicious circumstances remain open and under ongoing review and investigation until the person is located or, in the case of a missing person who is presumed drowned, a verdict to that effect by the coroner.
At present, local Garda management take direct responsibility for missing person cases, and special investigation teams are appointed as necessary. All missing persons are recorded on the PULSE system. When a person is reported missing, the local Garda Superintendent will appoint an investigation team to include any specialised unit deemed necessary, for example, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation or the Technical Bureau. The systems put in place by An Garda Síochána to manage and deal with reports of missing persons are in line with best international police practice, and Garda management have assured me that they are satisfied that the systems in place are adequate to deal with any reported case of a missing person.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the investigations into the whereabouts of missing persons are undertaken as part of normal duties and that separate cost entries are not established to track the cost of missing person investigations.
An Garda Síochána interacts fully and as appropriate with all of the media outlets — print, radio and TV — in highlighting cases involving missing persons. The services of other external agencies such as Interpol and Europol are also available to assist in the investigation. In addition, every Garda District has a specially trained search team that is familiar with the locality. The investigation of missing persons is a dedicated subject on the curriculum at the Garda College, Templemore, and is also a subject covered in in-service training.
The Garda authorities are continuously monitoring international developments in relation to investigations of missing persons in order to ensure that best practice is followed. If their professional judgement is that some change in the existing legislation, protocols or structures would be of assistance in improving investigations, this would be considered by me.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the number of untraced persons recorded at the end of 2005 was 395. I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the specific statistics requested by the Deputy. I will revert to the Deputy in relation to this matter when the information becomes available.
