Child abduction alert system to be set up shortly

A child abduction alert system is to be set up inthe coming weeks followed soon after by a dedicated national helpline.

There have been more than 40,000 missing persons’ reports in the past five years, which gardaí estimate involve about 20,000 people (with some going missing several times).

While the vast majority turn up within 24 hours, 212 people — 114 of them children — are still unaccounted for. Over 90% of missing children were in the care of the State.