I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 26, 29, 53, 84, 111, 118 and 130 together.
Last December, I met a delegation comprising representatives of the Missing Persons Helpline, with two Members of the Oireachtas, in relation to their request for financial assistance from the State. It was explained to me that the helpline provides advice and support to families who have lost touch with a family member and tries to help and encourage these people to establish contact with their families.
While this is a worthy social service, as its primary aim is to put family members in contact with each other it does not come within my Department's functional remit and I was not in a position, therefore, to consider any request for funding. However, I did undertake to write to my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, to ascertain whether his Department was in a position to consider the request for funding and I subsequently did so.