The Garda Press Office said yesterday the force had done all it could to trace Kim O'Donovan, the 15-year-old girl whose body was found in a Dublin guesthouse on Thursday morning.
The whereabouts of the girl, who had been in health-board care, had been unknown since July 28th when she could not be found as staff went to collect her from where she was on work experience.
The press office explained that all Garda stations were notified of her disappearance and given her details.
A media appeal was not made in this case. Generally, public appeals are made if relatives consent to the publicity, but this situation was different because Kim was in the care of a health board.
The press office said it could not comment on the particular circumstances of this case.
If relatives agree to publicity, a photograph and details of the person are usually circulated, and details placed on the Garda missing persons website.
The fact that the High Court had ordered Ms O'Donovan to return to Newtown House would not have affected the manner of the "missing person" investigation, according to a Garda spokesman.
Mr Brian Kenna, a community activist and anti-drugs campaigner, yesterday criticised gardai for not generating more publicity about Kim's disappearance. He said they should have notified drug-users' support organisations and the guesthouses where homeless people stay.
However, the Garda Press Office said that if a family did not seek publicity gardai were not free to issue details.
Ms Roisin Shortall, Labour spokeswoman on education and children, called on the Garda to state what action it took to trace the missing girl. The Garda spokesman said it would be impossible to say what action individual stations had taken in this case.
According to the South Western Area Health Board in Dublin, five Garda stations were initially contacted when Kim disappeared. Since July 28th health board officials had been in contact with eight stations.
The Garda Press Office has clarified its response to initial queries about whether gardai were aware that the girl had been missing. As reported in yesterday's Irish Times, the press office said on Thursday it had no record of the girl being reported missing.
It emphasised yesterday that while the press office had no record, because it had not been asked to give publicity to the case, gardai were aware of the case and all stations had been notified.
Some 2,000 people were reported missing last year, about 200 above the annual average. The majority return to their homes within two to three days.
When someone reports a missing person, gardai fill in a missing person form and make local inquiries. The details are then sent to the Missing Persons Bureau. Besides local inquiries, gardai contact friends and associates of the missing person and may also talk to Interpol.
The handling of each case depends on the circumstances, according to the Garda Press Office, but there is no required time lag before missing-person reports can be followed up.
Missing people are divided into two categories. The priority category covers people who are over 65 or under 18, or whose case gives rise to concern for their safety.
The second category covers all other people over 18 who go missing. Their cases are also investigated thoroughly and are given publicity if their families consent to it.
The Garda Siochana is in the process of revamping its website to highlight the number of missing people. Currently, the missing are included in press releases carried on the official website. An average of two missing-person statements are carried on the website each month. Under the new arrangements, there will be a separate section for missing persons, and the Garda Siochana hopes this focus will increase the chances of their being found.
