Delay in launching missing child hotline 'unacceptable'

A new EU-wide hotline for missing children comes into effect today, which is International Missing Children's Day.

Fifteen countries are launching the 11 6000 number which can be dialled in any participating EU state.

However Ireland is not one of the countries taking part.

EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes said today that this was "clearly unacceptable".

"The pan-European hotline number 116 000 is a crucial tool for finding missing children," Commissioner Kroes said, describing it as unacceptable that only 15 EU states had achieved today's deadline of implementing the scheme.

"I want commitments from the other 12 Member States that they will respect their legal obligation to make every effort to put in place the 116 000 missing children hotline," she added.

"I am also working closely with mobile phone operators on making the 116 000 missing children hotline more easily accessible."

The hotline is currently operational in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

"As a country that depends on tourism it is very important that we have this 11 6000 number in place… so that people come with peace of mind knowing there is an EU-wide hotline," said Ruth Deasy of the EU office in Dublin.

The delay in launching the hotline in Ireland has also been criticised by the ISPCC.