Roderic O’Gorman, the Minister for Children, has acknowledged significant shortcomings in the case of Kyran Durnin, an 8-year-old boy who has been missing. Asserting the importance of child safety, O’Gorman emphasised the urgency to uncover the lapses in this specific circumstance and rectifying them to prevent similar future occurrences, as expressed in his statement on RTÉ’s This Week.
As of the week’s end, the Gardaí had identified potential persons of interest in the investigation into the assumed murder and sudden disappearance of Kyran Durnin from County Louth but wouldn’t initiate arrests until procuring relevant evidence.
Mr. O’Gorman stamped the fact that a child being missing for such a long time evident failures on several fronts. Adding to this, he revealed an ongoing internal review at Tusla alongside the murder inquiry.
Kyran Durnin was last positively identified during the end of the 2022 school year. The following week, it came to light that the boy had been withdrawn from school, assumed to have moved to a Northern Ireland school, leading to the long-term absence going unnoticed by Irish authorities.
O’Gorman expressed nationwide dismay towards the case, voicing deep concern about the child’s disappearance and two-year lack of contact with State agencies, and the urgent need to comprehend the errors that led to this.
From O’Gorman’s understanding, systematic checks are required when a child discontinues school, be it within Ireland or beyond its borders. This understanding has led to a request for context.
The motive behind commissioning the two reviews is to grasp the interactions between Tusla, Kyran, and his family. Expected to receive the review findings within the week, the Minister gears up to act accordingly.
Authorities have wrapped up a thorough investigation that took place in a home located on Emer Terrace, Dundalk, Co Louth, this week. The investigation extended to the backyard of the property and an adjacent piece of land, however, no evidence indicating any concealment of the boy’s remains was found. Until May, this house was occupied by the Durnin family. Individuals living in the local area have been interviewed by the authorities to ascertain if they had any interaction with Kyran and when that took place. An additional property in Co Louth has been under scrutiny with potential for a comprehensive search to be executed, although no action has been taken till now.