'The family are distraught' - Renewed appeal for missing Irish woman last seen in Portugal four years ago

The investigation into missing Cavan woman Jean Tighe has been castigated as "totally inadequate" by Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD, who is friends of the Tighe family, told the Dáil the family are distraught by her disappearance.

His remarks coincide with the four-year anniversary of Jean's disappearance. Jean was last seen in Parede, a Portuguese holiday resort, on July 13, 2020. She was 38-years old when she went missing.

The Cavan native who hails from Munterconnaught had reportedly told a worker at the hostel where she was staying that she was going to meet a friend and left with her handbag.

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She had booked a flight home from Portugal for July 15, 2020 but never boarded the plane.

Despite repeated efforts from Irish authorities it took three years before Jean'scav name was added to a missing persons database in Portugal.

“Very understandably, Jean's loving family are distraught and have been at their wits' end over her disappearance. Those concerns are shared by their many friends in the community in Cavan and neighbouring areas,” Deputy Smith said.

“To put it mildly, the investigation into Jean's disappearance has been totally inadequate. It is simply just not good enough.”