Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

My motion concerns the need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to state what measures have been taken to determine the circumstances regarding the disappearance of an Irish citizen. As the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Conor Lenihan, is aware, it is extremely alarming that an Irish woman should disappear without trace in Medjugorje. Ms Winnie Brady travelled to Medjugorje at the beginning of September with a group of Irish people on a religious pilgrimage. As it was not her first time there, she had a reasonable knowledge of the area. Although her disappearance was reported to the police on 6 September, she may have been missing from either 4 or 5 September, as she had not been seen on those days. Hence, there was a potentially serious delay of a full 48 hours in reporting her disappearance that could have been the critical period for the beginning of a police inquiry. It also transpires that none of the Irish people who accompanied her was questioned by the local police. Moreover, the fact that Winnie Brady, who was a heavy smoker, left her accommodation without her cigarettes suggests she did not intend to go far. Furthermore, it transpires that approximately eight people have gone missing in Medjugorje over the years, some of whom were Irish, and have disappeared without trace.

Tom Daly, a policeman with the European monitoring mission, has been helpful to the family. The mission is in regular contact with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs who have kept family members informed of developments. Despite this however, the family is extremely frustrated. Nearly two months have now passed and family members fear the worst for their loved one. They even fear there may be a serial killer operating in the area. They are most unhappy with the response from the local authorities and police. Most of all, they want to know what happened to Winnie. They want closure, even if it means bad news.

They wish to see intervention on the part of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. They ask whether it is possible for the Irish troops stationed in Kosovo to perform a thorough search of the area. I believe approximately 150 troops are stationed there in addition to a Garda unit. They also ask whether the Garda in Ireland can question the Irish pilgrims who accompanied Winnie Brady on her pilgrimage as the local police in Medjugorje never bothered to speak to any of them to pick up any possible evidence, information or clues. The family members want to pursue all avenues until they find out what happened to her. After two months, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is probably their last hope and should help them.

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