Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Virtually every week one reads of another person who has gone missing and the list seems to be growing all the time. They are often either people of a tender age or elderly people and it must be difficult for families not knowing whether their loved ones are alive or dead. I raised this matter in the House approximately three years ago and at that time the Government provided money in the budget for the establishment of a service that would enable communities to be involved in discovering information about missing people. This should be formalised into a missing persons bureau because when one considers some of the more high-profile cases, it seems quite certain that the people involved are in serious trouble or perhaps worse. If we are not proactive in this matter, we will continue to see posters at railway stations and bus stops seeking information on missing persons. Something of a superficial nature will not work because we are dealing almost with an epidemic.

Perhaps one of the Oireachtas committees might devote some time to this issue in the autumn session and invite some witnesses to speak about it. A focused approach is required if we are to arrive at a solution.