John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

Given the timing of this motion I wish to extend my sympathies to the Holohan family in Midleton on their recent tragedy and to thank the Garda Síochána for the huge effort put into the search for Robert Holohan. I also thank the public who turned out in great numbers on a daily basis to assist the Army, the Garda and the family in that search.

I also wish to highlight what is not being done. I acknowledge the work of the Taoiseach and his support for many of the families in question. Political will on the part of the Minister is required to herald a change in Government policy because I am aware he is not in favour of a special missing persons' unit. I ask that such a policy is reviewed and that the finances necessary to support a special unit within the Garda are made available. That unit could be run according to best practice as it applies in America. A connection exists with the John Jay College in New York as a result of the Jerry McCabe fellowship. I visited that college a year ago and was told that an exchange programme could be put in place to train the Garda in best practice when searching for missing persons and in engaging with their families in order to continue that search. Some officers have been trained but it gives me no joy to say that not enough is being done.

The centre for exploited and missing children is funded by both private and public moneys and supported by the FBI. Members of the FBI work with the staff on a 24-seven basis. Much could be learned from this centre. The centre has offered to share its technology and experience, free of charge, with the Garda. I suggest this offer be availed of.

I suggested to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and to the former Garda Commissioner who is now retired that the case of Jo-Jo Dollard could be used as a model case for the required special unit so that a model of best practice in Irish terms could be created. This will not cost the State a fortune and it would deal directly with the families concerned.

An examination of unsolved cases would show they do not have a public profile from a Garda perspective. In the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe and the United States such cases are kept alive through constant reminders to the public of what a missing person would look like one year, five years, ten years and so forth after he or she went missing. While I was in Washington, a child who went missing at the age of four years was found at 14 years of age solely as a result of the persistence of law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In the case of Ireland nothing has happened.

Political will is needed, as has been shown by Senator Hillary Clinton in New York, who has sponsored various protocols, including Code Adam and Amber Alert, signed into law by President Bush. There is no reason we cannot benefit from the experience of the United States. In the recent case involving two children, Holly and Jessica, in Soham in England, the police brought in best practice from outside the jurisdiction, applied it and solved the case.

A large number of missing Irish people are acknowledged as missing on the Garda website. Their families are deeply concerned and traumatised and must face the issue on a daily basis. It gives me no pleasure to say that the response of the Garda Commissioner and the Minister is unsatisfactory. In the modern day and age, with society changing rapidly, we need to change our approach to this problem.

I acknowledge the website for the missing, www.missingkids.ie. While it is a step in the right direction, it is a long way from being the completed process. I urge the Minister to involve himself politically in this matter and bring about a change in policy with appropriate funding. This would satisfy the families whose members have gone missing and would prepare us for future missing cases.

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