Press Release from Tom Brown

Date: 2/13/2011
PRESS RELEASE 13th February 2011 from Tom Brown

During the current election debates all the political parties are concentrating on the Irish economy and the structure of the Oireachtas. Other issues have been ignored.

One important issue which is being ignored is the issue of the 116000 Missing Childrens’ Hotline number. This hotline can be a matter of enormous importance to famililies whose children go missing, is inexpensive to implement, but has been ignored by politicians throughout Ireland.

Under Europe wide telecoms rules which were agreed in 2009 the Universal Service Directive requires member states of the EU to strive to have this service implemented by 25th of May of this year (Missing Childrens’ Day). The directive also requires member states to inform the public of the service.

To date this hotline has not been made operational in Ireland, nor have many politicians shown any interest in it.

This coming Tuesday, 15 February 2011 marks the fourth anniversary of the date on which the European Commission first officially supported the hotline. To mark the occasion I will be demonstrating outside the Dáil from 12:00 noon until midnight. I will be urging voters to ask all Dáil candidates to elaborate their views on the hotline and to say whether they will play their part in having this hotline implemented.

PRESS RELEASE –

Tom Brown (brother of missing Ellen Coss Brown)