Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Glacfaidh mé lena chomhairle. Tréaslaím leis na Seanadóirí Burke, O'Donnell agus Ruane a thug an Bille seo chun cinn. Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt do mo chomhgleacaí, an Teachta Pearse Doherty, a thug Bill den leithéid seo chun cinn sa Dáil. As we know, 70,000 to 80,000 people are reported missing every year in Ireland. I cannot think of missing persons without thinking of the case of Barbara Walsh, which was highlighted on "Prime Time" last night and which occurred in my own area of Carna. I know the family very well and it is an awful tragedy that she went missing. They still have no closure. I can only imagine what the heartbreak must be like for other family across Ireland. We have almost 20 such cases every day. Many people do turn up. Is maith ann an Bille seo mar is buille tubaisteach do chlann duine muintreach a bheith ar iarraidh. Ba cheart dúinn gach rud gur féidir linn a dhéanamh leis an mbrú agus an strus a bhaineann le cúrsaí riaracháin orthu a laghdú.

It is also important that an element of the Bill is to bring this State into line with the North and with Scotland in allowing an application to be made to a register for presumed deaths. A presumed death will only be registered if it meets the strict criteria laid out in the Bill. Is rud atá nualaíoch sa Bhille ná go dtugann sé faoi cheist na ndaoine atá ar iarraidh taobh amuigh den Stáit. Uaireanta is casta fós na cásanna seo mar go mbíonn ar theaghlaigh déileáil le níos mó ná córas riaracháin amháin. Dá dheacair agus atá sé corp duine marbh a thabhairt abhaile, tá sé i bhfad níos deacra déileáil le duine a théann ar iarraidh i gcéin. Mar urlabhraí ar chúrsaí an dhiaspóra do mo pháirtí féin, tá a fhios agam go maith na fadhbanna teagmhála a thagann chun cinn agus daoine muintreacha in Éirinn ag iarraidh teacht ar eolas faoi dhaoine atá curtha futhu thar lear.As a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister will appreciate that it is important to take into consideration people who have gone missing abroad, as has been the case with some members of the diaspora. Tugtar soléiriú sna cásanna ina n-airítear go bhfuil duine marbh ach ina dtagann an duine sin ar ais ar a mhartain maidir le cúrsaí maoinithe, pósta agus airgeadais. Tá sé sin an-tábhachtach freisin.

This Bill comes out of a hope that, when the worst has to be presumed, family members of the missing person do not have to suffer further difficulties unnecessarily. Therefore, we support the Bill. This is an important day. I hope that the Bill can be progressed more quickly. It is disappointing that the Minister could not have shown the same flexibility on the Coroners (Amendment) Bill, which we discussed today, and allowed it to progress in order that we might table amendments on Report Stage.