Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if funding for a 24-hour permanent freephone helpline for missing persons will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2581/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason funding was withdrawn for the missing persons helpline on 31 March 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2582/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to initiatives undertaken in other jurisdictions within the EU to assist the families of missing persons, such as the provision of missing persons helplines; if he intends to provide similar services in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2585/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 131 and 134 together.

I refer the Deputy to my replies to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1075, 1076, 1082, 1084, 1086, 1087, 1091, 1108, 1120, 1149 and 1156 of 25 January 2006.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people who have been reported missing each year between 1995 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2583/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people who have been reported missing each year between 1995 and 2005; the number of people who remained missing at the end of each of those years; the way in which these figures compare with corresponding figures in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2584/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together.

I have made inquiries with the Garda authorities and the information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.

The figures for 2005 are provisional, operational, liable to change and cover the period up to September 2005. I understand that the Garda Síochána does not have access to missing person statistics for other EU member states. In order to provide comparable statistics with other EU member states, it would be necessary to make a detailed analysis of their missing person definitions, counting rules and procedures.