Ahern moves to set up missing persons unit based on Amber Alert

FAMILIES of missing people have welcomed moves by the Justice Minister to set up a missing persons unit.

A missing child alert system will be at the centre of the planned unit, which the Garda Inspectorate has been given the task of examining.

The unit will be closely modelled on the Amber Alert missing persons system used in the US, which the parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann have recently campaigned to have introduced in EU countries.

Dermot Ahern wants the Garda Inspectorate to report to him on how effective the Amber Alert system might be in Ireland.

“It is a traumatic event for anyone to have to report a loved one as missing.

“Having a missing loved one who is untraced causes unimaginable heartache for family and friends,” he said.

Setting up the unit was a commitment made in the Programme for Government.

The voluntary organisation Missing in Ireland Support Service (MISS) yesterday welcomed the move. Chairman Dermot Browne said he hoped the proposed service could be rolled out soon.

“It shouldn’t take too long for it to be established that there isn’t any system there for families. We hope this comes to fruition and that it’s not a long finger exercise. It has to be effective and the resources need to be there.”

Mr Browne set up MISS in 2003 following a 13-week search for his missing son, who was later found dead.

MISS, which has helped dozens of families with missing loved ones, is hoping to reopen a missing persons helpline this autumn.

Gardaí say 7,992 people were reported missing last year, with 88 still not found by the year’s end. Up to 4,179 people have been reported missing so far this year.

More than half of European Parliament MPs earlier this month backed a call for an EU-wide alert system for missing children, similar to the US one.

Amber Alert has seen the recovery of 80% of children within 72 hours of disappearance by sending information and photographs and telephone numbers to news media, border authorities and customs officials.

The system also runs electronic alerts on highways, a system which will be examined now for Ireland.

The Garda Inspectorate study will include a scrutiny of the current practice in Ireland regarding missing people. It will also look at how services are helped by international groups such as Europol and Interpol among others.

But no timeframe has been set on when the Garda Inspectorate must return its findings to Mr Ahern.