A support group representing families of people who have gone missing without trace have accused the Government of neglecting their plight.
The issue was raised as fresh appeals were issued yesterday for missing people in Wicklow, Kildare and Westmeath.
Dermot Browne, chairman of Missing in Ireland Support Services (Miss), said the Department of Justice had refused to reinstate funding for a missing persons helpline, which was discontinued last March due to lack of funds.
"There is nothing there for people at the moment. There is nowhere to go for help," said Mr Browne, whose son was missing for 13 weeks in 2003 before being found dead. "It is a shame on this country that people like me have to take to the streets just to get as simple a thing as a helpline."
In Mullingar, gardaí are seeking help in tracing Marie McDonnagh Greene (16), who was last seen on December 21st. She is 165cm (5ft 5in), of slim build with brown eyes and reddish-brown hair. She wore jeans, trainers and a light-coloured tracksuit top.
She may be visiting Donegal, Drogheda and/or Dundalk. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mullingar gardaí at 044-84000 or any Garda station.
In Co Kildare, the Garda underwater unit, assisted by Civil Defence personnel, searched the Barrow river in Athy yesterday for John Quinn (63), who has been missing since December 30th.
Gardaí in Bray are continuing to appeal for assistance in tracing Maura Reynolds (78), who went missing from a nursing home over Christmas.
The support group (www.miss.ie) intends to hold awareness events this year to highlight the absence of services.
Mr Browne said the department-sponsored Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime had mentioned €25,000 for a missing persons helpline, but no formal offer had been made.
He believed the allocation was only about a quarter of what was needed. "We are beyond disappointment at this stage," he told The Irish Times, "but we're talking about a relatively minor sum here."
A department spokesman said Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was "conscious that the disappearance of any person can be traumatic for their families".
However, an independent review of the helpline in 2003 found that just 100 calls had been made to it. "While the department is of the view that this service is a valuable one for the relatives . . . it may be that the service could be provided on a more cost-effective basis as an add-on to an existing service," the spokesman said.
