Published on
Missing Persons Day 2016
Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald speaks with families and friends of missing persons at the Missing Persons Day ceremony in Farmleigh
Missing Persons Day provides an opportunity to raise public awareness of the numbers of people that go missing in Ireland each year. The Day commemorates those who have been reported missing and recognises the ongoing suffering for their families and friends. It also serves to raise public awareness of open or unsolved missing persons cases, and provides a platform to highlight the support services that are available to people who have lost a loved one.
Our piece on Missing Persons Day from 2014
Minister David Stanton said:
The significance of Missing Persons Day is that families have a day to commemorate their missing loved ones. It is a day to remember family members, first and foremost, as a person, and not merely as a missing person.
Today’s ceremony included personal contributions from Diane Sinnott, who spoke about her sister, Fiona Sinnott, Sandra Cairns who spoke about her brother, Philip Cairns, Berna Fidan, who spoke about her sister, Esra Uyrun, Nuala Cusack, who spoke about her brother, Denis Cusack and Seamus O’Brien, who spoke about his son, Cathal O’Brien. Dr. Dorothy Ramsbottom from Forensic Science Ireland also addressed those present.
Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald praised the valuable contribution made by the many voluntary organisations present, including National Missing Persons Helpline, Searching for the Missing and the WAVE Trauma Centre:
I commend the work and dedication of these organisations to families and friends all over Ireland and beyond. It is an invaluable source of comfort and support to families and friends in very difficult circumstances'.
The Tánaiste met with families of missing persons and praised them for their generosity and bravery in sharing their experiences:
There is huge value in sharing experiences with other families who have gone through similar trauma. It is also important for the wider community to remember those who are missing and the very difficult situation faced by family and friends missing loved ones.