Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 585: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will establish a missing persons helpline; if not, if he will transfer this responsibility to the Department of Health and Children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7136/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Funding of €110,000 in respect of a national missing persons helpline made available by my Department in 2002 and 2003 was channelled through the Victim Support organisation, and was in addition to the ongoing funding that organisation received for the provision of services for victims of crime. This funding was provided subject to a number of conditions, including that audited accounts should be provided for my Department on a calendar year basis. To date, no audited accounts have been received by my Department. The Victim Support organisation received financial support from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 1985 to 31 March 2005. Almost €5.5 million was made available over the five years up to 2005.

In March 2005, I decided that continued funding of the Victim Support organisation could no longer be justified due to serious concerns in relation to governance, accountability for public funds and poor service levels, after a lengthy period of instability within the organisation. The missing persons helpline was operated from the headquarters of Victim Support alongside Victim Support's own helpline for victims of crime. I understand that Victim Support Limited closed down its headquarters operation during 2005 and a number of staff were made redundant, including the person employed to operate the missing persons helpline. My Department had no role in the decision of Victim Support Limited to make a number of its staff redundant, other than to insist that statutory requirements, notice, holiday pay, etc., be met and the interests of the staff protected.

Also in March 2005, I established a new Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime to devise an appropriate support framework for victims of crime into the future and to disburse funding for victim support measures. The commission is entirely independent in its decision-making and examines each application on its merits. The commission received an application from the Missing in Ireland Support Service for €71,600 to establish, staff and operate a helpline for missing persons. After careful consideration of the application the commission decided to offer funding of €25,000; however, this offer was rejected by the Missing in Ireland Support Service. It should be borne in mind, in this context, that the commission is charged with funding support services for victims of crime, and that, while some persons who are missing are crime victims, most are not. It remains open to the Missing in Ireland Support Service to make an application to my Department for assistance if it so wishes. Any such application will be carefully considered on its merits.