Roderic O'Gorman asks Tusla to refer Kyran Durnin case to review board

Kyran Durnin left school before the summer holidays in 2022, but that is the last confirmed sighting that Gardaí have of him.

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman has asked Tusla to send the case of a missing eight-year-old boy to a panel that investigates the deaths of children in State care.

Mr O’Gorman confirmed that he had asked Tusla to refer the case to the National Review Panel (NRP), which would normally examine cases after a Garda investigation is complete.

Earlier this month, gardaí said the case of missing Kyran Durnin had been upgraded to murder. Kyran, who was reported missing in August, is now believed to have been killed and may have disappeared more than two years ago.

The boy left school before the summer holidays in 2022, but that is the last confirmed sighting that gardaí have of him. He was first reported missing from his home in Drogheda, Co Louth, on August 30, with gardaí being told that he and his mother were last seen two days prior to that.

However, his mother was found last week in the UK, with the missing case being closed. The Garda investigation team upgraded Kryan’s case to a murder investigation last Wednesday, but no remains have been discovered or a crime scene identified.

It is understood that when Kyran was taken out of his school in 2022, authorities believed that he was being moved to a school in the North.

Mr O’Gorman described the case as being “deeply tragic” and that if any arm of the State failed Kyran there would be consequences.

“I’ve asked Tusla already to send that now so we can understand the child and family agency’s involvement in this particular case.

I’ve no doubt other parts of the State will also be examining closely what happened here, while at the same time recognising there’s an ongoing investigation into this tragedy. 

On Friday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that gardaí must be allowed to complete their investigation and ascertain what happened to Kyran. Questioned if Tusla had failings with the case, Ms McEntee said that if any State agency has not done their job properly, they must be held to account.

“This is a devastating case. This is a really very upsetting case when you look at the facts and you read what has potentially happened here,” Ms McEntee said.

“Unfortunately the view is that he is most likely dead and has passed away, but we need to understand what’s happened. We need to know have there been failures here, where have those failures been taking taking place, but also who is responsible for them.”