Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 34 together.

Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009, the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. In a debate on this issue in Seanad Éireann on 12 October last I gave a commitment to work with relevant Departments and agencies to establish the hotline in Ireland in 2012. I also announced my intention to establish a cross-sectoral project team to include representatives of my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg and the Garda Síochána. The final nominee to the project team is expected shortly and the team will then be in a position to commence its work.

This team will examine how best to operate the hotline in the context of the demand for the service and establish the extent to which services, including Garda and victim support services, which are in existence and receive Government funding, can be mobilised to meet Ireland's commitments regarding the hotline. In seeking to make progress on this issue, my Department has had discussions with the Departments of Justice and Equality and Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, as well as ComReg. Further discussions will be held in the context of the meetings of the project team.

I emphasise that the investigation of a child's disappearance is the responsibility of the Garda. Its structures in this regard include not only the local gardaí, who will have primary responsibility for the investigation, but also the missing persons bureau. It is of paramount importance that any arrangements which are put in place to establish the 116000 hotline do not compromise the requirement that the first and most important contact to be made is to notify the Garda of the fact that a child is missing in order that an investigation can commence without delay. The implementation of a dedicated missing children hotline is intended to provide a further level of support in such circumstances.

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