Mr. Drew Harris:

I am very much aware of the trauma surrounding individuals who go missing for years where no one has any idea of what happened to them and no body is recovered. I have met various groups in this regard. I am aware of an operation involving an Garda Síochána and Forensic Science Ireland which has identified individuals who were buried long ago through the use of DNA testing. These are individuals who were primarily recovered from the sea, who were not identified at the time, and who subsequently have been identified. As the Deputy is asking me for some pretty specific detail, I would like to formulate a written response. It is very opportune time do so as it is not long until the annual service of commemoration for missing persons in Ireland. It is an issue of which we are very mindful. We are aware of the ongoing hurt and misery associated with these cases. There is some hope in this respect as a result of the work that has been done over the last two to three years. Bodies and individuals have been identified and returned for burial in marked graves. I will get those details and submit them to the committee in writing because I want to be 100% precise.

With regard to reports of missing persons, I will need to get the data relating to Dundalk and to Louth generally. I had not realised that Louth was an outlier in respect of the number of people going missing. We can, perhaps, get some idea as to why that is the case. Some factors may be unknown to us. That knowledge may lie with other agencies. We can, however, give some analysis as to why that may be the case. Again, I will provide a written response in that regard.