A search at the former family home of Kyran Durnin in Dundalk, Co Louth has been stood down for the night and will enter a third day tomorrow.
The eight-year-old schoolboy is missing presumed dead.
Gardaí believe he may have been killed up to two years ago.
An extensive search operation at the property on Emer Terrace in Dundalk got under way yesterday and the garden at the rear of property was later excavated.
A significant number of garda forensic experts and members of the Garda Technical Bureau arrived on site
early this morning.
During the course of the morning, a mini-digger was taken away from the scene and a bigger one delivered.
This was then used to search an area of wasteland behind the gardens at the rear of the row of terraced houses.
Given the close proximity of the houses and the built-up area where they are located, Gardaí have been working closely with local residents to access this wasteland.
However, they have stressed that these residents and the the tenants currently living in the house being searched at Emer Terrace are in no way connected to Kyran or his disappearance.
The search operation has now been stood down for the night and is expected to resume again at first light tomorrow.
Minister requests Tusla report
Meanwhile, Minister for Education Norma Foley has said she has requested a report from Tusla in relation to Kyran's case.
Gardaí said the last records they have for him relate to his attendance at a primary school in Dundalk at the end of the 2021/2022 school year.
Speaking in Drogheda this afternoon, Minister Foley said it is important that the full facts of this case are established.
She said: "I have requested a report from Tusla in relation to what exactly has happened here, but there is a garda investigation under way and it's important that be allowed to proceed.
"The most important thing here is that find out what did happen, how it happened, why it happened. And at the center of this, obviously, is Kyran and for all of us our our ambition in life is that every child would have a happy and safe experience of life. So we need very much so to find out with urgency what has happened here.
"I think across the entire country, we are shell-shocked to learn that a child would be missing for so long and that it would be unnoticed that a child, I think, as the Taoiseach himself has said that a child has been missing for so long.
"So it is really, really important that we do find out the facts, that we do get the information, and that the investigation by An Garda Síochána is allowed to continue, and that we do get witness to all of the facts in relation to the story."
In a statement yesterday evening, Tusla said that while Kyran was not in its care, it had engaged with him and his family.
The agency said that in August, it alerted gardaí to a significant concern about Kyran, and it has now opened an internal review into its interactions with Kyran and his family.
Tusla said: "We can confirm that whilst Kyran was not in the care of Tusla, our services had engaged with both he and his family. In August 2024, we alerted An Garda Síochána in relation to a significant concern about Kyran.
"Since August, we have continued to assist and work closely with the gardaí, and in line with normal practice, all relevant information has been shared.
"We can also confirm that as appropriate a notification has been sent to The National Review Panel (NRP), whose responsibility is to independently review cases of serious incidents involving children in care or known to Tusla.
"We have also commenced an internal review, to look at our engagements and interactions with Kyran and his family."
Gardaí have said they have identified the whereabouts of Kyran's mother, who was previously reported missing along with her son.
Gardaí took possession of the house in Dundalk earlier this week following a District Court Order.
On 30 August this year, a missing person's report was filed at Drogheda Garda Station in relation to Kyran.
Gardaí were told he was last seen in the town two days earlier.
However, during the course of their inquiry, information came to light that led detectives to suspect that Kyran had been missing for more than two days.
Last week, they upgraded the missing person's case to one of murder.
Gardaí have said that, in spite of their extensive inquiries, they have been unable to find Kyran or identify any information on his current whereabouts or evidence to suggest that he is still alive.
The investigation team at Drogheda Garda Station can be contacted on 041-987 4200 or information can be reported via the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111 or at any garda station.
