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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Amy Fitzpatrick disappearance

Summary

Deputy Kenny asked the Government to intervene in the long-running disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick, after a family campaign at Leinster House. The Minister said any new evidence should be assessed by the Tánaiste and Department of Foreign Affairs, which could then make representations.

On Tuesday, Christine Kenny, who is the aunt of Amy Fitzpatrick, who disappeared on New Year's Day 2008, was at the gates of Leinster House and handed in letters to both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, and many other Deputies met her that morning. She is campaigning for the Government to intervene in this case. It is now 15 years since this young girl disappeared in Spain. She left the house of a friend to go to her own home and it is said that she never arrived there. It was six months previously that the famous case of Madeleine McCann was in the world headlines. There is certainly a sense that the Spanish authorities did not want to bring bad publicity to a very touristy part of the world and to the commercial interests there, and the case was not dealt with as appropriately as it should have been at the time. Since then, new information has come to light and, in recent days, there has been a lot of media coverage in Spain and reports that somebody has come forward to say that, unfortunately, they know where Amy's body may be buried, and they are speaking around that. The pressure needs to be put on the Spanish authorities to deal with this issue. I call on the Government to really put on the pressure to ensure the Spanish authorities act to find Amy's body and bring her home to her family.

Comment on this

I know the heartbreak would not diminish despite the time that has lapsed. If, as the Deputy suggests, there is new evidence that might lead to resolving the family's anguish in this regard, I am certain that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and his Department would make representations. As I said, they will have to make the most appropriate assessment of that.

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