Gardaí have contacted the family of an Irish woman believed to have abandoned her baby boy in a public toilet in Australia.
A Garda spokesman said inquiries into the woman's identity began this morning.
"We are satisfied at this stage that we have made contact with the girl's family in Ireland," he said. "Any progress will be conveyed to Australia as the day goes on."
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the family of the woman were now in contact with the Irish authorities and that the matter was primarily a "medical one."
The baby boy, aged between two and four weeks, was found in a toilet cubicle at the tourist resort of Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast at about 7.45am on Monday.
He was wrapped in a towel and placed inside a shopping bag. Another bag containing baby items and towels was left with the child.
Queensland police released CCTV images of a woman leaving the scene, and these led to a number of calls to the Australian Crime Stoppers helpline from members of the public identifying the woman as Irish.
The baby was reported to be in good health and had been well cared for before being abandoned.