A woman has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Co Louth schoolboy Kyran Durnin.
Gardaí investigating the disappearance and suspected murder of the eight-year-old made the arrest on Tuesday.
The woman is being detained under Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in the east of the country.
Kyran was reported missing from his home in Dundalk last August, but gardaí suspect he was murdered more than two years ago.
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The woman, who is in her 20s, is understood to be well-known to the child and had recently returned from abroad of her own volition.
Gardaí became aware that she was back in Ireland and arrested her.
Sources familiar with the investigation cautioned against any expectation that there would be an immediate breakthrough in the case. The boy’s remains have not been found, nor has any detail come to light so far about his possible cause of death.
The woman’s continued presence overseas had been an obstacle to any progress being made in the investigation, as there are no grounds under which investigating gardaí could extradite individuals solely on the basis of questioning.
The arrest is said to have taken the woman by surprise.
An Garda Síochána are continuing to appeal to anyone with information on the disappearance and suspected murder of Kyran to contact the Garda Investigation Team at Drogheda Garda station on 041 987 4200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or to speak with any member of An Garda Síochána.
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