The Government will “act immediately” to review Tusla’s Kieran Durnin case

The Children’s Minister has said the government will act “immediately” on the main recommendations of the Tusla review into the disappearance of schoolboy Kieran Durnin.

Roderick O’Gorman will receive a “detailed” report from the Children and Families Agency on Friday about his interactions with Kieran and his family.

In October, police launched an investigation into the murder of a Co Louth schoolboy who had been reported missing for two years.

Police suspect that Kieran may have died in 2022 when he was six years old.

Tusla said last week it had raised “significant” concerns about the missing child in August.

Investigators searched the former family home in Dundalk and surrounding land last week.

Ireland’s police chief called the incident “extraordinary” and said he had never seen anything like it in his 40-year career.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said on Friday that he was being briefed on the investigation on a daily basis.

He said gardaí had received a “vast amount of information from the public” following several appeals.

“I can assure you that this investigation is very active, we are pursuing every line of inquiry that we have,” he said, speaking in Co Laois.

“We have received a huge amount of input from the public so all that information needs to be processed and we are also working with Tusla and have received a lot of input from Tusla as well.

“All of this is involved in the investigation. This is a very complex and well-resourced investigation and is being assisted by national bureaus in conducting interviews and assessing the witness statements we have received so far.”

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

Education Minister Norma Foley will be issued with a separate report into Tusla’s Education Support Service into Kieran’s interactions with school authorities.

“I and my department will work with Tusla to implement any immediate recommendations in this report,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“This is a detailed report and we are very aware that there is an ongoing Garda investigation, a homicide investigation, so Tusla will not release anything that will in any way prejudice the ongoing homicide investigation.

“But what is important is that this report will also be referred to the National Review Commission, which is the independent body that reviews the death of any child who was known to Tusla, and the internal report from Tusla will be reviewed by the National Review Commission.

“But we will act immediately on any major recommendations that this review gives us today.”