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Fitzgerald launches 116000 Missing Children’s Hotline
Minister Fitzgerald launching the hotline with Shauna Luby, aged 12, Mackella Haverty, aged 12 from Balgaddy, Lucan, Co.Dublin, ISPCC CEO Ashley Balbirnie and Barbara Nolan, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland
Children & Youth Affairs Minister Frances Fitzgerald today officially launched the 116000 Hotline for Missing Children in Ireland.
The 116000 Hotline will provide emotional support to children who are missing, their family and others responsible for the missing child and also offer guidance and advice to callers regarding a missing child. This 24/7 support service is run by the ISPCC with financial support from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the EU.
Minister Fitzgerald stated:
I am delighted to officially launch the 116000 Hotline for Missing Children in Ireland. This service provides an important support for children missing from home and for their families.
I wish to commend the commitment and interest shown by the ISPCC in seeking to progress provision of this Hotline.
Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009, the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. In 2011 Minister Fitzgerald established a Project Team to oversee the establishment of the Hotline.
The 116000 Missing Children Hotline is not an emergency number. Emergency calls should always be directed to the 999/112 number in the first instance, where the relevant emergency responses, including the recently launched Garda Missing Children Amber Alert mechanism, may be activated. The establishment of the 116000 line will, however, be of valuable support and assistance to families of missing children and to missing children themselves.
Read the full press release here.