Bid to end limbo for families of missing

The Government is to introduce legislation to help families of missing persons deal with financial issues such as paying the mortgage by allowing them to apply for a presumption of death certificate so they can exit the current financial “legal limbo” which can last up to seven years.

The private members’ Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill 2013 was debated in the Seanad yesterday after being introduced by Cork senator Colm Burke.

Mr Burke told the Irish Examiner that the bill was to provide for families, such as those of missing fishermen, who encounter immediate problems such as how to pay utility bills because the current law denies them access to the missing person’s bank accounts.