Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

An Garda Síochána is responsible for the investigation of persons, including of course children, reported missing in circumstances which give rise to concern. The Garda emergency numbers, 112 and 999, are available for this purpose. In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government 2007, I asked the Garda Síochána Inspectorate to examine current Garda practice with regard to missing persons. The inspectorate found overall that Garda systems for handling missing persons cases are in line with international best practice. It made 18 recommendations on how these systems can be further enhanced, and their implementation is well advanced.

The recommendations did not include the establishment of a helpline of the kind referred to by the Deputy, although I do not suggest that the inspectorate would be opposed to such a development. A missing persons helpline is operated by Missing in Ireland Support Services, which can deal with cases of missing children. The Deputy may have in mind the telephone number 116000, which has been reserved by the European Commission as a common number for missing children hotlines in EU member states. Member states are obliged to reserve the number and promote it, encourage the provision of the service, ensure that citizens are adequately informed about it and make every effort to ensure that citizens have access to a service. They are not, however, obliged to ensure the service is provided.

In fulfilment of these obligations, the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, has advertised on a number of occasions, inviting prospective service providers - in effect voluntary organisations - that feel they are qualified to offer the service to apply for allocation of the number. They have not been in a position to allocate the number so far. I have asked my Department to keep in contact with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources about this matter.

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