Gardaí investigating the disappearance and suspected murder of Kyran Durnin have no plans to conduct further searches in the short term.
On Monday, security sources denied reports the investigation had stalled and said gardaí were going through a large amount of childcare documents and public tip-offs relating to the case. Investigators were “taking stock” and “consolidating” leads, sources said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said he had read a report prepared by Tusla on its involvement with Kyran and his family in recent years and that it raised issues of concern.
Mr O’Gorman said he was unable to go into detail on the report’s contents as An Garda Síochána had asked that it not be published and that “from what I’ve seen there are elements that are of concern in terms of the overall State response”.
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He said the case “shows the importance of inter-agency co-operation”.
Gardaí believe Kyran, who would be aged eight years old if still alive, is deceased and that he may have died more than two years ago. Although he was initially treated as a missing person, gardaí have found no evidence he is still alive, and have since upgraded their inquiries to a murder investigation.
Kyran was last recorded as present in his school in Dundalk, Co Louth in May 2022, when he was in junior infants.
Sources have said the school was informed at the time he was transferring to a school in Northern Ireland.
A search of Kyran’s former home in Dundalk and the surrounding land last month turned up little of evidential value. No further searches were planned at this time, sources said.
Gardaí said they had received a large number of tip-offs from the public that were all being investigated. Investigators have urged anyone with information on Kyran, even if they think it may not be relevant, to make contact with their local station.
Investigators are also continuing to examine health, education and childcare records relating to Kyran and his family for clues about his last contact with authorities.
On Sunday, Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan said the agency received no reports of Kyran Durnin missing school in the two years since the child disappeared.
In 2021 and 2022 Tusla officials made “significant efforts” to provide supports to Kyran and his family. However, during that time, they “received no referrals of concern either through child protection welfare services or our educational support services”, she said.
She said Tusla was “engaging in relation to another case” earlier this year when staff became aware of new information that raised concerns about Kyran’s whereabouts, she said.
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