Press release
Minister McEntee makes appeal to the public on National Missing Persons Day 2020
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
This morning, Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, will host an online commemorative ceremony to mark the eighth annual National Missing Persons Day.
National Missing Persons Day is an all-Ireland event and offers an opportunity for family members and friends to talk about their missing loved ones, and to appeal to the public for any information that might help to resolve their cases.
Minister McEntee said:
"This year we have all felt the particular impact of not knowing when we will next be able to be around those who we love. In this time, I think it’s appropriate that we remember the unimaginable distress faced by the families and friends of missing persons. As of the 23rd November 2020, 813 Missing Person cases remain “open” investigations with An Garda Síochána.
"Thousands of people go missing across Ireland every year. Thankfully, the vast majority are found safe and well. However, there are others who simply never come home. Today we remember them, and we offer our thoughts to their friends and families.
"This yearly ceremony provides a national platform to those affected by this ambiguous loss to raise awareness of Ireland’s missing persons. It provides a space for families to speak from the heart about their loved ones, and to encourage those with potential information to come forward.
"I would call on all members of the public to listen to these stories, and to think about whether you can help with their appeals."
To mark the occasion, an intimate ceremony is usually held, featuring family testimonials, speeches from the Minister and Garda Commissioner, live music, a picture slideshow of Ireland’s missing persons and a rose laying ceremony or the release of homing pigeons. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Missing Persons Day will be marked by an online commemorative ceremony rather than the usual in person event.
In an event MC’d once again by Barry Cummins, this year’s ceremony will include contributions from Minister McEntee, the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the Director General of Forensic Science Ireland Chris Enright, and Forensic Anthropologist Dr. René Gapert. Family members of missing persons have also recorded interviews for the event and there will be pieces of music performed in Farmleigh.
The Minister added:
"I know that in what has already been a very difficult year, it will be a huge disappointment to many families around the country that we cannot meet in person for this year’s event. Missing Persons Day has become an important date in the year for many people providing an invaluable opportunity to come together with other families with similar experiences.
"My department has tried to recreate as much of what makes the annual ceremony so special in this online event and I hope that, even in this different format, today’s ceremony will provide families with a sense of togetherness and unity with those who are travelling the same path as them. And I look forward to meeting the families in person at next year’s event."
The event can be accessed on the Department of Justice’s website, www.justice.ie, at 11am, streamed on our social channels (Twitter, Facebook and YouTube), and will be available to be watched back on the website at any point after the conclusion of the event.
ENDS
On 4 December 2013, Ireland held its inaugural National Missing Persons Day with a commemorative ceremony which took place at Farmleigh House, Dublin. The inaugural ceremony was attended by the families and friends of missing persons, as well as many of the organisations working in the community on their behalf.
The ceremony incorporated musical and personal tributes and reflections, followed by a tree planting ceremony in the grounds of Farmleigh House. The event was also attended by the second level students of Davis College, Mallow, Co. Cork, who organised a campaign to raise awareness of missing persons’ issues and to call for a national Missing Persons Day.
National Missing Persons Day has since been developed into an annual campaign in partnership with a number of organisations and this year’s online ceremony will mark the eighth annual commemorative day.