‘Amber Alert’ can save missing kids

Today, May 25th is International Missing Children's Day. The purpose of the day is to remind us of all those children, like Madeline McCann, who are remain separated from their families and to think about about parents like Gerry and Kate McCann, who have spent over two years living the daily torment of every parent's worst nightmare.

But it is also a day to commit ourselves to putting a system in place so that more of these vulnerable, innocent children can be found. I met with Maddie's parents, Gerry and Kate, in June last year and heard their harrowing story. They are working and campaigning to ensure that others do not have to suffer as they have suffered over the past two years. I support that campaign and I am proud that I was among the first MEPs to support a European Parliament Written Declaration calling on EU Member States to introduce a uniform missing child alert system.

When a child goes missing, the first 72 hours are critically importance. That is why it is so important that our police forces and national authorities work together within the structure of a European wide child alert system. We know of the success of the US style amber alert programme which has led to the safe return of hundreds of children who have been abducted from one US state to the next.


I welcome the fact that my colleague and Justice Minister, Dermot Ahern, TD, last month gave the go-ahead for the establishment of an "amber alert" system here. I will be pressing Minister Ahern to ensure that the Irish Alert system is up and running as soon as possible, but my priority in the European Parliament will be to ensure that other EU countries move speedily put the common EU wide system in place.

It is an area where all the countries of the EU can work more effectively by acting today rather than acting individually. I welcome the fact that the European Commission has already reserved the telephone number 116 000 and earlier this year put aside 1 million euro for implementation of the EU wide scheme.  It is an example of how the EU can take the lead and how Members of the European Parliament can make a real and vital difference for the people of Dublin.