Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she plans to allocate funding to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children for the operation of the 116000 number if the ISPCA fails to secure funding from the European Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23958/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009, the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. My Department established and is leading a cross-sectoral Project Team, including representatives of my own Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg and An Garda Síochána to advance this matter.

The position is that Comreg, who have responsibility for allocation of this number in Ireland, received an application to operate the Hotline from the ISPCC. Following cross departmental consultation and an examination of the issues involved by the Project team, Comreg has now allocated the number to the ISPCC. The operation of Hotline is now a matter for the ISPCC who have made an application for funding to the European Commission and a decision on this application is pending. Any decision regarding alternate funding for the service should this application not succeed will be a matter for consideration by the project team should such an eventuality arise.

In the coming months the Project Team will be working to ensure that the Hotline becomes operational in a timely manner and operates in a way that supports and augments existing arrangements to secure child protection.