Government ‘will act immediately’ on Tusla review into Kyran Durnin

The Government will act “immediately” on the central recommendations of a Tusla review into the disappearance of schoolboy Kyran Durnin, the minister for children said.

Roderic O’Gorman received on Friday evening the “detailed” report from the child and family agency about its engagement with Kyran and his family.

A spokesperson for Mr O’Gorman said the Department would engage with Tusla on the findings into the “concerning” case.

Gardai launched a murder investigation in October into the disappearance of the Co Louth schoolboy, who was potentially missing for two years, unknown to authorities.

Gardai suspect that Kyran may have died in 2022 when he was six.

Tusla said it raised a “significant” concern about the missing child to police in August.

Last week, investigators searched a former family home in Dundalk and adjoining land.

Ireland’s police chief has described the case as “extraordinary” and said he has never seen one like it in his 40-year career.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said on Friday that he is updated every day on the investigation.

He said Gardai had received “a huge amount of information from the public” after several appeals.

“I can assure you that that investigation is very active, we’re pursing all the lines of inquiry that we have,” he said, speaking in Co Laois.

“We have received a huge amount of information from the public, so all of that has to be processed, and we’re also engaging with Tusla and received a lot of information from Tusla as well.

“All of that feeds into the inquiry. It is a very complex and properly resourced investigation and is being assisted by national bureaux in terms of expertise around interviewing and the assessment of the witness accounts we’ve received so far.”

Mr O’Gorman said that he would receive a report from Tusla on its engagement with Kyran and his family.

A separate report would be issued to Education Minister Norma Foley in relation to Tusla’s Education Support Service about Kyran’s interactions with school authorities.

“I and my department will engage with Tusla in terms of the implementation of any of the immediate recommendations for that report,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“It’s a detailed report and we’re very conscious that there’s an ongoing Garda investigation, a murder investigation, ongoing right now, so Tusla won’t be putting out anything that is any way prejudicial to an ongoing murder investigation.

“But importantly, this report will also go to the National Review Panel, that’s the independent body that examines the death of any child who was known to Tusla, and the internal report from Tusla will be considered by the National Review Panel.

“But we will be acting immediately on any central recommendations that this review brings to us today.”

The National Review Panel, which conducts reviews of child deaths and serious incidents with the aim of improving the services, is prioritising the case.

Tusla said its internal review of interactions with Kyran Durnin and his family would not be made public.

A spokesperson said: “In accordance with standard practice in sensitive situations, and in the context of the live investigation by An Garda Siochana and the highly sensitive nature of the personal information involved, the review cannot be published at this time.”