The search for an Irish backpacker missing in South America since November has been narrowed down to an area of a park on the border between Argentina and Chile.
Ronan Lawlor (28) from Durrow, Co Laois, has not been in contact with friends or family since he entered Torres del Paine national park on November 18th.
It is understood search teams are focusing on a 20sq km area of the national park on the Chilean side of the border.
Colm O'Gorman, a friend of Mr Lawlor from Co Limerick, last night said he and some other friends had managed to speak to a number of people who had met Ronan on a bus journey into the park.
"One couple has been very helpful to us. Ronan told them the direction he was going and the campsite he intended to stay at in the park. It is an important development.
"Knowing this means that there is a strong chance he went missing on his first day in the park and now the search and rescue teams can focus on that area," he said.
Mr Lawlor last updated the blog which he has used to document his travels on November 17th. The following day, he sent a text message to his friend and this is the last moment of contact.
A rucksack belonging to him was found at a hostel in El Calafate, Argentina, on Friday and, since the discovery, search efforts have increased considerably.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern last night said he was urging authorities in South America to give more resources to the search.
Mr Ahern said both the Chilean and Argentinian governments had expressed a "willingness to help in any way they can" and that he had telephoned Chile's acting foreign minister Alberto van Klaberin to discuss the matter.
"I urged him to provide any assistance they can in the search for Mr Lawlor. In particular, I stressed the need at this stage for the use of sniffer dogs in the search," the Minister said.
Mr O'Gorman said the Irish Embassy in Argentina had also offered its support in the search.
Mr Lawlor's cousin, Gráinne Lawlor, and his friend Bernard McCabe flew to Argentina on Friday to assist in the search.
Mr O'Gorman said the pair had been "heavily involved" in the search efforts and that they told him "specialist rescue teams and sniffer dogs" were now assisting.
Mr Lawlor's family have set up a website in both English and Spanish to offer information.
The address is www.ronanlawlor.org
According to Mr O'Gorman, the response to the website has been positive and some backpackers have offered some helpful information about the area being searched.
