Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will respond to the case of a missing person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45918/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Since my previous reply to the Deputy, PQ 131 of 23rd September, 2009, the status of the case of the missing Irish girl in Spain has not changed. Our Embassy in Madrid remains in contact with the Guardia Civil in relation to the case and is ready to assist her family in whatever way possible. I am informed that, unfortunately, there are no new definitive leads as to her whereabouts. However, I am assured that the Spanish authorities continue to investigate her case with the hope of finding her, and that her case is still considered by them as a missing person's case. As well as holding meetings with the extended members of her family, the Taoiseach and I have both written to our counterparts in Spain about her case and both have responded, expressing their sympathy, as well as their assurances that the Spanish authorities were making every possible effort to find her.

The Deputy will wish to be aware that the Taoiseach also raised her case with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero during a visit on 18 May 2010 to Madrid and that the Prime Minister expressed his concern and assured the Taoiseach of the continued commitment of the Spanish authorities to the investigation.

More recently, since my previous reply to the Deputy, our Ambassador and the Consular Officer in the Embassy together met again with the senior police officer leading the investigation to discuss the case and, following that meeting, our Consular Officer met again separately with the senior police officers investigating her case.

The Head of Consular Division and other officials in my Department have met with the members of her family based in Ireland and with the members of her family based in Spain and continue to raise any issue of concern to them with the Spanish authorities.

I can assure the Deputy that the Spanish authorities have continually undertaken to keep our Embassy and her family informed of any developments and, of course, any information received by my Department, either through our Embassy or the Consular Assistance Section, will be passed on immediately to her extended family.