Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Government took a decision last year on which there was very little discussion, that is, the setting up of a hotline for missing children. Throughout European countries the 116000 number is used. It is a number people can ring immediately if there is any danger of a child being kidnapped, absconding, going missing, running away or whatever internationally. At such times, families are subject to a great deal of trauma. I spoke to several people about this issue and they simply do not know where to go. Eventually, such people ring the Garda and it has a certain process that it puts in place.

As we are well aware, this is an international issue. The Irish Government has opted out of the 116000 number on the basis of saving money. I do not know how much money is being saved by not manning, dealing with, processing or administering a single phone number which could be of extraordinary help to people. Hundreds of people go missing in the course of a year, some for a short term and some for a long term, but this is an issue for people. There is the question of children in the care of the HSE, an issue which received a high profile last week in the McAnaspie case. Not all such children finish up as bodies in a ditch. They finish up in other places and they find themselves trafficked into other countries, among other possibilities. We are aware of the issues and I put it to the Leader that the Government should inform us why we cannot buy into the 116000 hotline as other European countries have done. What putative savings are being made by not participating in this system?

The Government proposes to increase the betting tax. While I have no problem with that, one of the spin-offs is that the large international companies will remain on-line and offshore. We will collect nothing from them while the small, local bookmakers in towns throughout Ireland will be put out of business. Such a move would make them uncompetitive. I am unsure how it would work, but we should introduce legislation to ensure the large companies, such as Paddy Power and others, are on a level playing pitch with the other, normal bookies in towns. We must consider this in a fair way. We should not introduce legislation that might bring in some extra money to the industry but close down jobs throughout the country in towns in various places. I ask for these two issues to be raised with the appropriate Minster.