An Assistant Garda Commissioner has told an Oireachtas Committee that they have received up to 40,500 reports of missing persons in the last five years.
John O'Mahony said that 212 of those people are still missing.
He said that there are 140 missing men or boys and 72 missing women or girls.
Of those still missing, 114 are under the age of 18 and 98 are adults. There are 163 that come from outside of Ireland and 49 that are Irish citizens.
The vast majority of missing reports to gardaí about missing children relate to children in care.
Detective Chief Superintendent John O'Driscoll told the committee that the explanation for the number of children who remain missing on their books has nothing to do with trafficking.
Supt O'Driscoll said some people will arrive into the country and pose as minors.
He said they are referred into care to the HSE for tests to ascertain whether they are adults. He said that on occasions they go missing during this process.
