Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise again the disappearance in July 2020 in Portugal of my constituent and family friend, Jean Tighe. Jean's family has sought every possible assistance daily to locate their beloved daughter and sibling. I have made numerous representations to the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice to stress the absolute necessity of ensuring proper and adequate searches are undertaken to locate Jean. It took an inordinate and totally unacceptable time for the Portuguese police authorities to put Jean's name on the missing persons database. It was clear from early on that modern investigative and search tools were not used in the search. I have called repeatedly for an investigation into Jean's disappearance that is absolutely comprehensive and thorough. I was extremely disappointed and indeed furious to learn that the Portuguese authorities have been awaiting responses from An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice for some time. The least our authorities can do is to act with urgency. We have a young woman who is missing and a very distraught family, friends and community. This State, by its actions, must show that it cares.

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