The Irish premier said the disappearance of Kyran Durnin, eight, whom police suspect may have been murdered two years ago, has left the country “utterly horrified and heartbroken”.
Police have started excavating a section of wasteland behind Kyran’s former family home in Dundalk, Co Louth, on the second day of their search of the property.
A digger was seen working in wasteland directly behind the terraced house as part of their investigation in the suspected murder of the schoolboy.
The house, where new tenants unconnected to the investigation now live, was taken into possession of Irish police after they were granted an order by the District Court.
Last week, gardai opened a murder investigation months after Kyran was reported missing along with his mother.
The youngster’s mother has been located, but investigators say the whereabouts of Kyran remain unknown and he is now presumed dead.
Police now believe he may be have been missing for two years.
Speaking in the Irish parliament (Dail), Simon Harris said the “saddest and most painful thing” about the case is that nobody asked where he was for some two years.
“I don’t think there’s a person on any side of this House, or a person in Ireland who isn’t both utterly horrified and utterly heartbroken at what is emerging in relation to the case of young Kyran Durnin,” Taoiseach Mr Harris said.
“It’s nothing to do with political establishment or any sort of rhetoric like this. This is just to do with basic humanity.
“An eight-year-old boy, effectively went missing for two years, and the saddest and most painful thing is that nobody asked why or where was he for that period of time.
“I think any one of us thinking that that could happen to any child is deeply upsetting, and it is going to require, and maybe I should say this at the outset, it is absolutely going to require a structure to get to the exact bottom of this. Of that, there is no doubt.
“But right now, we have to be very conscious of the fact that the gardai are very actively investigating this. To say there’s a live investigation under way would capture it.”
The Taoiseach urged anyone with information to contact police.
The Fine Gael leader added: “It is important though that I think we afford the state agencies the space that they need to investigate the matter fully.
“Tusla, the child and family agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection in Ireland.”
On Tuesday, Tusla said it raised a “significant concern” around the missing child to police in August.
“We can confirm that whilst Kyran was not in the care of Tusla, our services had engaged with both he and his family,” Tusla said.
“In August 2024, we alerted An Garda Siochana in relation to a significant concern about Kyran.
“Since August, we have continued to assist and work closely with the gardai, and in line with normal practice, all relevant information has been shared.”
How broken is the state care system that we're not talking about an intervention here, that we're actually talking about the potential murder of a child
Peadar Toibin, an elected representative for Aontu, told the parliament that the case has “shocked the country to the core”.
“This is a tragic and dark case that asks serious questions from the state. How can a vulnerable child go missing for two years?” he added.
“How can a vulnerable child just disappear for two years? How broken is the state care system that we’re not talking about an intervention here, that we’re actually talking about the potential murder of a child.
“The political establishment has expressed shock and disbelief over what has happened to Kyran, but the truth is that Kyran is only one of 227 children who have died in state care or known to state care just in the last 10 years.
“Of that 227, we know that 11 were murdered. Another child died as a result of a suspected non-accidental injury, and a further child lost his life due to a suspected homicide.
“Forty children died because of suicide, eight because of drug overdose, 16 because of road traffic accidents, and 18 by other accidents.”
It has also been confirmed by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman that he has asked Tusla to send its files on Kyran to a panel which looks into the death of any youngster with links to state care.
He said this would not usually happen until an investigation has been completed, but that he has asked the agency to disclose any case files to the National Review Panel.
