The National Review Panel which investigates serious incidents including the deaths of children in care and known to the child protection system, has said it will be completing a review in due course into the death of Oisín Reddin.
The body of the 12-year-old boy was found at a house in Clondalkin in west Dublin yesterday morning in a suspected murder-suicide.
The body of his father, 48-year-old Wayne O'Reilly, had been found earlier after emergency services were called to a home in the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot at around 8.30am.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has confirmed that Oisín and his family were known to the agency, but that he was not in the care of the State.
Oisín and his father had been reported missing last October, but were located two days later.
Tusla said the death of a child "is a tragedy" and said its thoughts "are with the family, all those who knew him, and the local community at this difficult time".
The agency said it was continuing to engage with gardaí as they conduct their investigation and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
Tusla is now likely to face questions about what interactions it may have had with the family in the three months since the October incident was reported to gardaí.
'Deep sadness'
Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said: "We didn't expect this here, you never expect in your doorstep."
He added there is "a deep sadness and, I suppose, a sense of anger at it happening at all" and that there is a "long journey" ahead for the family.
"But they can be rest assured, this community will be with them every step of the way as they embark on that difficult, difficult journey," he added.
Mr Doolan appealed for people not to speculate about the events on social media, saying it would "exacerbate the grief and trauma" of the family.
Local Independent councillor Francis Timmons said that people in the community are devastated.
"The Clondalkin community are beyond devastated, hurt, numb. There's just a sense of shock in the community, really hurt at the minute," he said on RTÉ’s News at One.
"We all want to send our solidarity and support to the family and their friends, who are grieving at this terrible time.
"In particular, our thoughts are with the child’s school friends, who will be struggling with the loss of their friends at this time.
"It’s just numbness and shock, really," he added.
Details of the suspected murder-suicide began to emerge early yesterday morning after emergency services were called to a house on Cherry Orchard Drive in Ballyfermot.
Mr O'Reilly's body was discovered in the back garden with suspected self-inflicted injuries.
Follow up searches at another house connected to him, on Lealand Road in the Bawnouge area of Clondalkin, led to the discovery of his son's body.
Gardaí suspect that Oisín died violently and that Mr O'Reilly may have taken his own life but were keen to stress that the result of post-mortem examinations will determine the course of their investigation.
Both bodies were removed from the houses they were found in yesterday.
There were poignant scenes in Clondalkin when a group of locals who appeared to know Oisín arrived at the scene just after his body was placed in an ambulance and formed a guard of honour as his remains were driven away from his home.
The Department of Education said teams from the National Educational and Psychological services were on the ground today and yesterday supporting staff and the school community at Talbot Senior National School, where Oisín was a 5th class pupil.
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Additional reporting PA
