John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

): I apologise that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, cannot be present to answer this debate. However, I welcome the opportunity to reply to this Adjournment debate, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs. The issue of missing children has been high on his agenda, particularly in respect of those children entering the State who have gone missing immediately or from the care of the HSE.

Regarding the proposal referred to by the Senator to put in place an EU hotline for missing children, the Minister of State has had discussions on this matter with non-governmental organisations. He will keep the Seanad informed of developments in this regard. It is also a matter of great concern to him that a number of unaccompanied minors have gone missing after entering the State. It is important to state this phenomenon is not unique to Ireland.

The issue is complex and, at times, its treatment has been oversimplified. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some positive developments. To tackle this serious problem, the HSE has developed a strong working relationship with the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, in respect of missing children. The level of inter-agency co-operation between the HSE and the bureau has been consistently high and was intensified in the face of the increase in the number of missing children who presented in late 2008 and early 2009.

A joint national protocol on children who go missing from care has been agreed between the Garda and the HSE. Intensive meetings took place last year between HSE management, the GNIB and local gardaí in respect of adapting this protocol in terms of application to unaccompanied minors who go missing. The following measures were agreed: collaborative interviewing at the ports between social workers and gardaí; fingerprinting of persons presenting as under age at the ports for tracking purposes; planned Garda surveillance of those at risk of going missing from the point of presentation at ports; the passing of information relating to the notification system of missing persons to local gardaí, to be closely monitored by Garda inspectors; joint training of HSE staff and gardaí and GNIB staff in respect of children at high risk of going missing; and the sharing of photographic evidence between HSE and Garda.

These measures were implemented and existing processes improved throughout 2009. GNIB mounted several surveillance operations in collaboration with HSE staff and successfully tracked some children who went missing. There was a decline in the number of children presenting and remaining missing in the final quarter of 2009. This was the result of intensive inter-agency efforts throughout that year. No children were reported missing in October-November 2009. One was reported missing in December but was subsequently traced. The HSE has not been in a position to provide current information owing to ongoing industrial action.

The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and HSE management and staff have been closely involved in collaboration with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the development of the national action plan on anti-human trafficking and the Minister of State with responsibility for children is committed to ensuring we play an active part in combating trafficking as outlined in this plan.

The implementation plan for the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009 contains a commitment that unaccompanied minors will be accommodated in mainstream care instead of hostels by December of this year. This move from hostel accommodation to residential and foster care should assist in ensuring that fewer children go missing. The HSE has begun the process of phasing out the hostel arrangements. Three of the seven hostels closed in 2009 and those remaining will close this year. The Minister is satisfied that the efforts made by the HSE and GNIB to address concerns regarding unaccompanied minors have proved effective. Both agencies are committed to intensifying their joint work in this area with a view to preventing children from going missing and locating those who do. I advise anyone who has information about missing children to contact the Garda Síochána's missing persons bureau or their local Garda station.