It is a matter of great concern that a number of children go missing after they enter the State. Separated children going missing from care is not a phenomenon unique to Ireland.
The issue of separated children who go missing from care is complex. There has been a tendency to equate all missing children with trafficking. However the HSE advise that there is evidence to indicate that some of these individuals may be adults who disappeared before a comprehensive age assessment process could be undertaken by the HSE. It has been acknowledged by the HSE and also by other relevant statutory agencies that there are several factors that may contribute to the disappearance of a child from care and these are the following:- The child's appeal for asylum has been refused and he/she is nearing eighteen and is reacting to the pending threat of repatriation. The person has been smuggled into the country to join the workforce on a consensual basis and is availing of the child protection service as a fast track route into the State. The child has been trafficked into the State by traffickers using the child protection service as a route.
The HSE has developed a strong working relationship with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (G.N.I.B.) in relation to missing children. The level of interagency cooperation between the H.S.E. and the G.N.I.B. has been consistently high and has intensified in recent years. A Joint National Protocol on Children who go missing from care has been agreed between the Garda and the H.S.E.. Intensive meetings took place last year between H.S.E. management and the G.N.I.B. and local Garda to adapt this protocol in terms of application to separated children who go missing. The following measures were agreed:- Collaborative interviewing at the ports between social workers and Garda. Fingerprinting of persons presenting as underage at the ports, for tracking purposes. Planned Garda surveillance of those at risk of going missing from the point of presentation at ports to the initial placement period in hostels. Monitoring of the notification system of missing persons to local Garda to be closely monitored by Garda Inspectors. Joint training of H.S.E. staff and Garda/ G.N.I.B. staff in relation to children at high risk of going missing. Sharing of photographic evidence between H.S.E. and Garda.
Of the 47 children who went missing from care in 2009 9 were successfully traced. Garda are currently investigating adults involved with some of these cases. There was a decline in the number of children presenting and remaining missing in the last quarter of 2009. This is the result of intensive interagency efforts throughout that year. No children were reported missing in October / November while one was reported missing in December and was subsequently traced.
My office, the H.S.E. management and staff have been closely involved in collaboration with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the development of the National Action Plan on Anti-Human Trafficking and I am committed to ensuring that we play an active part in combating trafficking as outlined in this plan.
In addition the Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009 contains a commitment that separated children will be accommodated in mainstream care, instead of hostels by December 2010. This move from hostel accommodation to residential and foster care should help to ensure that fewer children go missing. The HSE has begun the process of phasing out the hostel arrangements and putting in place appropriate 24 hour care staff arrangements in the remaining hostels until they are closed. Three hostels have already closed and the remaining four are to close this year.
I am satisfied that the efforts made by the HSE and GNIB to address concerns regarding separated children have proved effective. Both agencies are committed to intensifying their joint work in this area with a view to preventing children from going missing and locating those who do. The issue of unaccompanied minors has been prioritised by An Garda Síochána in its Action Plan this year.