Govt receives Tusla reports on Kyran Durnin case

The Government has received two internal Tusla reports into its handling of the case of schoolboy Kyran Durnin, who is missing presumed dead.

Gardaí believe the boy may have been killed up to two years ago, when he was aged six.

The Child and Family Agency has carried out an examination of its interactions with Kyran and his family.

It also examined all information held by its Education Support Services relating to his schooling.

The two reports have been relayed to Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman, and Minister for Education Norma Foley.

The Government has said that gardaí have requested the reports are not published at this time because investigations are ongoing.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mr O’Gorman said his Department will engage with Tusla on its findings.

That review will also be made available to the National Review Panel which is prioritising its examination of what happened.

The panel conducts reviews of child deaths and serious incidents.

The Department of Education is also studying the contents of the report it received.

A spokesperson for Ms Foley also said that she will collaborate with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland on enhancing procedures that will further protect children.

The Durnin family home has been searched along with an adjoining area of open land in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Tusla previously said that in August, it alerted gardaí to a significant concern about Kyran.

'Massive questions' about State failings - Bacik

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has told RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin that there were "massive questions" about State failings and what the State could and should have done in the case of Kyran Durnin.

She said: "I very much anticipate there will be a way in which key findings in the reports may become public at a future date and I hope not too far in the fuutre, because I do think it's important that we see where the system of child protection in this State has failed and how we can address those failings.

"It’s not about attributing blame. This is about trying to get it right."

Minister of State for Community Development, Integration & Charities Joe O'Brien said that the public have been shocked by this case, but that the details of it will emerge over time, and the primary thing is to protect the murder investigation.

"It’s pretty clear that there’s a lot of information missing," he said.

He added that people are curious as to how this could happen and the timeline of events, but that nobody has that information at the moment.

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said it is the State’s responsibility to care for children brought to the attention of State authorities, and that there has to be accountability for the State’s failure.

"This has to be part of the conversation," he added.