There are no plans in my Department to introduce a missing child register for parental custody cases such as the one referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy will be aware, however, that details of all children reported to the Garda Síochána as missing are maintained by them for investigative purposes. The provisions of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions concerning Custody of Children and on Restoration of Custody of Children deal with cases where children are removed from one contracting state to another, whether subject to a custody order. Such cases are dealt with by the Central Authority for Child Abduction which operates under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
Children First, national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children, was published in September 1999 and represent a major development in strengthening arrangements for the protection of children. The objectives of the guidelines are to improve the identification, reporting, assessment, treatment and management of child abuse. While the guidelines do not specifically refer to parental custody cases the guidelines are important in this context as they clarify the responsibilities of various professionals and individuals within organisations and provide guidance to enhance communication and co-ordination of information.