Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 161: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Irish Missing Person's Helpline received funding from his Department in 1999 to 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41880/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department did not provide funding to the Irish Missing Person's Helpline in 1999 and 2000.

However, funding of €110,000 in respect of a National Missing Persons Helpline was made available by my Department in 2002 and 2003. It was channelled through the Victim Support organisation, and was in addition to the ongoing funding that organisation received for the provision of services to victims of crime. This funding of €110,000 was provided subject to the conditions that no funding beyond the year 2003 should be implied, and audited accounts should be provided to my Department on a calendar year basis. To date no audited accounts have been received in my Department.

In March 2005, it was 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. I understand that Victim Support closed down its headquarters operation during 2005 and that 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 to make a number of its staff redundant, other than to insist that statutory requirements (notice, holiday pay, etc.) be met and that the interests of the staff be protected.