Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

573. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality given there are currently 857 missing persons and 44 unidentified bodies in Ireland, if he will consider establishing an independent body to review all the files to assist and supplement the work already carried out by An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24962/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Recently published records of unidentified remains have been made public as part of the annual returns reported by coroners to the Minister. It is important to note that this should not be viewed as being a complete list of all Unidentified Remains which may lie within the state. The data will be subject to amendment as additional information may emerge over the coming months and years.

It is the intention that this information will be updated on an ongoing basis. A new question has also been added to the coroner’s annual statistical returns whereby coroners will be asked to provide details of all unidentified human remains reported to them in the preceding year.

The Department of Justice established a forum in July 2021 alongside An Garda Síochána’s Missing Persons Unit and Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) to facilitate information exchange on unidentified remains.

Further meetings of the stakeholder forum, to include the Coroner Society of Ireland, will be held this year to discuss improvements that may be made in relation to the gathering and sharing of unidentified remains and missing person data.

The Department has no immediate plans to establish a specific unit / centralised office to progress work in this area.