PROTOCOLS DEVELOPED IN 2012 to handle how children who go missing from State care have been praised.
The guidelines were agreed by Tusla, the child and family agency, and An Garda Síochána and are being credited with seeing all of the children who went missing from State care in the first six months of 2014 returned.
113 children went missing from State care up to 31 May.
Children’s Minister James Reilly told independent TD Tommy Broughan that all children were later returned to their families or care settings.
Reilly outlined the procedure in place to deal with instances of children in care who are reported missing, saying that a revised protocol had made these protocols stronger.
Reilly added that in light of particular concerns regarding unaccompanied minors “the Agency has worked collaboratively with the Garda National Immigration Bureau to develop an additional joint protocol which enhances the capacity of both agencies to locate such missing children and young persons.”
Broughan said that the success of the protocols were testament to the importance of structures in State agencies.
“We know from past experience and the investigations into the deaths of some children known to State authorities that children were failed by a lack of appropriate structures to recover children who were reported missing.”
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