Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has 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.
The Minister added: "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 Project Team included representatives of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg and an Garda Síochána. Last year Minister Fitzgerald confirmed that a licence to operate the 116000 Hotline for Missing Children has been allocated to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). Comreg, allocated the 116000 number to the ISPCC following an examination of the issues involved in conjunction with the Project Team. In addition, the ISPCC last year made successful application for funding to the European Commission under the DAPHNE scheme. The ISPCC also received funding from DCYA.
Minister Fitzgerald, addressing the audience, said "…we must acknowledge that for those children who are missing and even for those who may be considered missing only for one day, there is a family member or significant other who is worried, frightened and distressed and that there is a child out there feeling scared and alone because they are either in danger or have left their home. The 116000 Hotline is now available as an extra resource to these families and children. It will help provide the emotional support and information needed during such a difficult time."
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.
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Notes for the editor:
1. The Universal Service Directive requires Member States to "make every effort to ensure that citizens have access to a service operating a hotline to report cases of missing children. The hotline shall be available on the number 116 000."
2. The DCYA established a cross-sectoral Project Team, including representatives of the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg, An Garda Síochána and the HSE Children and Family Services, to advance this matter and following cross departmental consultation and an examination of the issues involved by the Project Team, ComReg allocated the number to the ISPCC.
3. There are a variety of instances where children can go missing, including running away, parental or criminal abduction, lost or unaccompanied children. Any of these instances can be distressing for a child or their loved one, which is why the provision of this service is so important
4. The ISPCC has been successful in securing EU Daphne funding to support the establishment of the line. The ISPCC also submitted a successful application for funding to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to cover the establishment and running of the Hotline.
5. Memoranda of understanding between the ISPCC and the HSE, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and An Garda Síochána, respectively were finalised in advance of the commencement of the pilot in December 2012.
6. The phased implementation of the service commenced in December 2012, operating on a reduced hours pilot basis became a full-time 24/7 service since Monday the 22nd of April 2013.