Irish PM says country has been left 'utterly heartbroken' by suspected murder of missing boy

The disappearance of an eight-year-old lad who constabulary fishy whitethorn person been murdered 2 years agone has near Ireland "utterly heartbroken", the Irish premier curate has said.

Simon Harris made the remark arsenic constabulary investigating the disappearance of Kyran Durnin began excavating a conception of wasteland down the boy's erstwhile household location successful Dundalk, County Louth.

A digger was moving connected the onshore aft the police hunt of the terraced house entered its 2nd day.

Police opened a execution investigation past week aft Kyran was reported missing on with his parent connected 30 August.

He was besides reported to person been seen 2 days before.

Kyran's parent has been located, but investigators accidental the boy's whereabouts stay chartless and helium is present presumed dead.

Despite the reported sighting, officers judge helium whitethorn person been murdered 2 years ago.

The spot being searched is known to person been Kyran's household location for a fig of years until May 2024, constabulary person said.

However, the existent tenants are not believed to beryllium linked to the boy's disappearance.

The spot was taken into possession of Irish constabulary aft they were granted an bid by the territory court.

Speaking successful the Irish parliament today, Taoiseach Mr Harris said the "saddest and astir achy thing" astir the lawsuit is that cipher asked wherever helium was for immoderate 2 years.

He added: "I don't deliberation there's a idiosyncratic connected immoderate broadside of this house, oregon a idiosyncratic successful Ireland who isn't some utterly horrified and utterly heartbroken astatine what is emerging successful narration to the lawsuit of young Kyran Durnin.

"It's thing to bash with governmental constitution oregon immoderate benignant of rhetoric similar this. This is conscionable to bash with basal humanity."

Mr Harris continued: "I deliberation immoderate 1 of america reasoning that that could hap to immoderate kid is profoundly upsetting, and it is going to require, and possibly I should accidental this astatine the outset, it is perfectly going to necessitate a operation to get to the nonstop bottommost of this. Of that, determination is nary doubt.

"But close now, we person to beryllium precise conscious of the information that the gardai are precise actively investigating this. To accidental there's a unrecorded probe nether mode would seizure it."

The taoiseach urged anyone with accusation to interaction police.

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On Tuesday, Tusla, Ireland's kid and household agency, said it raised a "significant concern" astir the missing kid to constabulary successful August.

"We tin corroborate that whilst Kyran was not successful the attraction of Tusla, our services had engaged with some helium and his family," Tusla said.

"In August 2024, we alerted An Garda Siochana successful narration to a important interest astir Kyran.

"Since August, we person continued to assistance and enactment intimately with the gardai, and successful enactment with mean practice, each applicable accusation has been shared."

Peadar Toibin, an elected typical for the Aontu party, told the parliament that Kyran is "one of 227 children who person died successful authorities attraction oregon known to authorities attraction conscionable successful the past 10 years".

He said that of those, 11 are known to person been murdered.