A man is still being questioned in connection with the disappearance and murder of schoolboy Kyran Durnin.
Kyran, who would now be eight years old, was reported missing last August, but gardaí suspect he may have been killed up to two years ago.
This morning, gardaí announced that they were carrying out searches at two houses in Drogheda. Co Louth.
The first operation was completed at around midday and further information is not being released for operational reasons.
The second search has been stood down for the night and will resume again at first light tomorrow.
This operation is at a property in an estate in the town.
Gardaí have said the house and its adjoining gardens will be subject to an "intrusive search and also to technical and forensic examinations" that are expected to take some time to complete.
There was a strong garda presence at this search site today.
A telescopic loader was used to lift a mini-digger into the back garden of the property.
The operation is being carried out by the local divisional search team, supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau, Divisional Scene of Crime and Forensic Science Ireland.
A specialist cadaver dog is also assisting gardaí with the search.
Gardaí said the purpose of the Drogheda searches is to discover any evidence that might provide them with information as to Kyran's whereabouts or what has happened to him.
The man arrested this morning is being held at an undisclosed garda station in the east of the country.
He is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be questioned for a maximum period of 24 hours.
This marks the second arrest made as part of this murder investigation.
A woman, who was arrested earlier this week, was released without charge yesterday evening.
The woman, aged in her 20s, had been abroad for a period of time but was arrested in Ireland on Tuesday on suspicion of murder.
It is understood that she was known to Kyran and has been a person of interest in the case for some time, and that gardaí have also spoken to her on a number of previous occasions.
In August, a missing person's report was filed at Drogheda Garda Station in relation to Kyran and gardaí were told he was last seen in the town two days beforehand.
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However, during the course of this inquiry, information came to light that led detectives to suspect that Kyran had been missing for longer than two days.
In October, the missing person's case was upgraded to murder.
Gardaí established that Kyran had previously lived at a house in Dundalk for a number of years and searched it and an adjoining area of open land as part of their murder investigation.
Gardaí have said the current tenants who live at the property are in no way connected to Kyran or his disappearance.
The results of that three-day search were not released for operational purposes.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, said that in August it alerted gardaí to a significant concern about Kyran and that while he was not in its care, it had engaged with him and his family.
Tusla subsequently conducted an internal review into its interactions with the boy and his relations.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal to anyone with any information on the disappearance and murder of Kyran, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact Drogheda station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or speak to any member of An Garda Síochána.
