The foster family who looked after Daniel Aruebose for the first 18 months of his life have said they are devastated by his disappearance.
Speaking to The Journal, his foster sister said that he was always in their thoughts after he was returned to his own family and that they deeply missed him when he was gone.
New pictures from his foster family show that Daniel was a beautiful, happy, clever and healthy child.
She said he loved to sing and dance and was a very important part of their family.
Human skeletal remains were found as part of the search for Daniel Aruebose, who went missing over four years ago when he was around three years old.
The remains are expected to be removed from the site on the Portrane Road for a paediatric post-mortem examination later today.
Gardaí had been searching land for the past two weeks after they had been told that the toddler had died of natural causes and had been secretly buried at Donabate site.
The remains are expected to be exhumed later today in what gardaí say will be "a careful and sensitive" manner.
A specialist forensic paediatric pathologist will also be engaged to conduct a post-mortem examination on the child's remains to try to establish the cause of death.
The results will determine the course of the investigation. Detectives hope it will indicate whether the child's death was accidental, from natural causes or related to something more sinister.
DNA samples will be taken to confirm the child's identity and a formal identification will take place.
Gardaí were informed of the disappearance of Daniel by Tusla after the Department of Social Protection alerted the child protection agency to irregularities in an application for child support payments.
Tusla also confirmed it previously had dealings with Daniel and his family.
Daniel lived at The Gallery apartments in Donabate before he went missing.
The child’s home has already been searched and forensically examined but gardaí say they are continuing to carry out house-to-house inquiries in the area and are anxious to speak to anyone who lived there since July 2019.
Discovery of child's remains 'deeply shocking' - Taoiseach
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that the discovery of the remains of Daniel Aruebose was "deeply, deeply shocking and sad".
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships, Mr Martin said the family, community and wider society were "deeply saddened".
"We have to await further investigations by the gardaí and by others into the background here to then inform us in terms of how we take this forward, and also in terms of looking at our systems ... in terms of following and tracking young people and children in a society where the population is growing," he said.
"There is more fluidity and movement in people from area to area, or in and out of the country, and that's more of a modern phenomenon than perhaps would have been the case in the past.
To the best of my knowledge the child was not in care at the time the child went missing. There are issues that we will examine, but we have to do it in an evidence-based and informed manner.
"But it's very, very sad."
However, Mr Martin said he is concerned about the "rush to judgement" regarding Daniel.
He said there are lots of "very genuine" people working in Tusla who are "flat out".
"We need to learn from what has happened. It's shocking. It's very poigniant and very sad to see a young, beautiful child go missing and to die," he said.
"We don't know the full circumstances as to how Daniel died but it speaks to the heart of all of us as parents that something like that has happened and it is a reflection on wider society and all of us."
Vigil planned in Daniel's memory
Earlier, local Labour Councillor Corina Johnston said the whole community is heartbroken and devastated.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said the site of the search is close to two primary schools, a walkway and a cycle path.
"A lot of children are asking questions the last couple of weeks, so it has been a very, very difficult time for this community," she added.
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Ms Johnston said there are "plans" for another vigil in Daniel's memory, which will likely be announced in the coming days.
She said the State "has questions to answer" and it is her understanding that the minister has requested Tusla carry out a review of its own dealings with Daniel's family, with a report to be published in the next couple of weeks.
However, she believes a public inquiry is needed.
"This can't happen again. This is an absolutely horrific tragedy and we cannot see this happen again to another child in this State," she said.
"Anyone that has any information that may be able to assist the gardaí in their investigation, I'm appealing for them to come forward. I'm also calling for the minister to provide supports for the many children, teachers and support staff in our local schools who are traumatised and have been asking questions over the last couple of weeks," she said.
Read more: What we know so far about the case of Daniel Aruebose
In the Dáil Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan called for independent statuary reviews to be triggered in every case of a child known to Tusla who disappears.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Mr O’Callaghan said "something very seriously went wrong" in relation to the case of Daniel Aruebose.
Tusla is conductinga rapid review of the case, which has been referred to the National Review Panel, something Mr O’Callaghan described as "not good enough".
He said an independent statuary review was the bare minimum that children like Daniel deserve.
"This is not to apportion blame, it’s to find out what went wrong to make sure it never happens again, to prevent more children disappearing and dying.
"Daniel was failed in life, let’s not fail in him in death," he said.
In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government was committed to doing a review, and that it must happen as quickly as possible.
"The point of putting it (NRP) on a statuary footing is entirely accepted by Government and is a valid point.
"I think it would be extraordinarily foolish for Government to rule out any action that may be required in relation to this situation.
"This has shook our country to its core, it’s deeply distressing what’s happened and it’s even more distressing now when we see the name and the face of the little boy Daniel."
