19/12/2011

Call For Assistance To Families On Missing

Ireland's law reform body has called for the plan to see the families of missing people to receive financial help with paying their bills.

The Law Reform Commission (LRC) on Monday published its Consultation Paper on Civil Law Aspects of Missing Persons making 18 detailed provisional recommendations for reform of the law.

The report found that between 7,000 and 8,000 people were reported missing every year in Ireland, almost 20 every day. Most of these actually turn up within a very short time, and less than 1% remain missing for a long time.

According to the most recent figures from the Garda Missing Persons Bureau, between 2003 and 2010 there were 53,915 missing persons reports; of these, 381 people remain missing.

The LRC said that, having talked to representatives of missing persons, there is a need to have a statutory framework to deal with some immediate practical problems for family members.

In particular, the LRC said there was a need to allow access to a missing person’s bank account (especially where the bank account is in his or her sole name) so that bills can be paid.

The Commission provisionally recommended that legislation should be enacted to allow the family left behind to take out a limited grant of administration of the missing person’s estate allowing the family to pay bills or, for example, to renew insurance on a car or motorbike. This process could be in place for up to 2 years with a possible extension of 2 more years.

(DW)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

02 December 2015
Justice Minister Hosts Third Annual Missing Persons Day
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has hosted the third annual Missing Persons Day in Dublin. The event at Farmleigh is an opportunity to raise public awareness of the numbers of people who go missing in Ireland each year. According to Garda statistics, 9,179 people were reported missing in 2014, with 17 still unaccounted for.
29 June 2018
New Legislation To Help Families Of Missing Persons
New legislation to help families of missing persons in overcoming the legal difficulties they currently face, has been brought forward by Fine Gael Cork North Central Senator, Colm Burke.
07 November 2008
Investigation Launched After Man's Body Found In Kerry
Gardaí at Listowel have launched an investigation, following the discovery of a man's body in the Ballyduff area of North Kerry. The discovery was made in an open area shortly after 5:30pm on Thursday. The scene has been preserved and State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster is due to carry out an examination of the scene.
04 December 2019
Garda Committed To Solving Missing Persons Cases
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has expressed his commitment to solving outstanding cases this National Missing Persons Day, 04 December. Addressing guests at an event, Commissioner Harris spoke alongside loved ones of missing persons such as Jo Jo Dullard, William Maughan, and Lisa Dorrian.
14 June 2016
Two Missing People Found 'Safe And Well'
Missing 17-year-old Yasmin O'Keeffe has been found "safe and well", garda have reported. Garda had issued an appeal for the teenager who had been missing since Tuesday, 07 June in Navan. No further information has been released but garda have thanked the public for their help.