Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 609: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the common European Missing Children's Helpline number 116 000, which is currently operational in five Member States and will shortly be operational in a further two, will be formally launched on 25 May 2009, Missing Children's Day; if he will take steps to ensure that the helpline which complements existing statutory mechanisms and can be utilised to raise an alert, support parents and guardians and missing children themselves in the context of free movement across Europe becomes operational here, if not by this date then without delay thereafter; and if he will make the necessary funding available to an organisation (details supplied) who are ideally placed to operate the service. [15357/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The European Commission published a Commission Decision dated the 15th February 2007 entitled "Reserving the national numbering range beginning with "116" for harmonised numbers for harmonised services of social value".

The purpose of this decision is to reserve the 116 telephone number range for use for social services in EU.

The allocation of specific numbers in the 116 number range in Ireland is managed by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

I am advised by ComReg that Childline is planning to commence a service using the telephone number 116111 and that the number 116123 has been allocated to the Samaritans.

It is open to other organisations to apply to ComReg for the allocation of additional numbers from this numbering range. I have no funding available for organisations wishing to operate a service using 116 number range.