Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2006
250 Mr. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he intends to restore funding to the missing persons helpline; his views on the submission made to his Department by the Missing in Ireland Support Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33011/06]
View answerFunding 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 the 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 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.
The Garda Síochána 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.
A proposal for funding to restore the National Missing Persons Helpline has been submitted to my Department and officials are currently examining the proposal.
