Almost a year to the day that schoolboy Kyran Durnin was first reported missing from his home in Drogheda, Co Louth, gardaí have renewed their appeal for anyone with any information on the case to come forward.
They are continuing to work on the assumption that the boy, who would now be nine years old, is missing presumed dead and that he may have died up to three years ago.
Gardaí said that they have taken more than 570 separate investigative actions in relation to Kyran's disappearance.
The last known images of him were taken in June 2022 when he was six-years-old.
Two people have been arrested, three properties have been searched, and almost 30,000 hours of CCTV footage have been seized.
One of those arrested was a woman in her 20s, who is understood to have been known to Kyran.
A 36-year-old man was also arrested as gardaí carried out an "intrusive" search at a property and its adjoining gardens in a housing estate in Drogheda.
Both the man and woman were subsequently released without charge.
However, gardaí confirmed that the man, named locally as Anthony Maguire, was found dead at his home in Drogheda just days after his release.
Gardaí said they were treating the matter as a "personal tragedy," and not looking for anyone else in connection with his death.
Where Kyran is or what happened to him is still unknown and gardaí have again asked anyone with information in relation to the case, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
Tusla said it has been working closely with gardaí since the outset of the investigation and will continue working with them and other parties to the fullest extent possible.
It said it completed an internal review of its interactions with Kyran Durnin and his family in November 2024 and shared the report with then minister for children Roderic O'Gorman.
The Department of Children said this report was also forwarded to the National Review Panel, which conducts independent reviews on the death of any child and serious incidents.
The department said it is awaiting a report from the National Review Panel, adding that the panel is prioritising this case.
Read more: Mystery surrounding Kyran Durnin disappearance continues
The department said that while it cannot release further details related to the case, Minister for Children Norma Foley agreed to a new North/South Child Protection Work Programme to 2028.
It said this programme includes actions on knowledge exchange; early identification and sharing of information on emerging complex child protection issues; and ongoing cross-border cooperation in relation to child welfare and protection.
"At the heart of this is a young child, and the minister and the public at large share in the devastation that a young child could go missing for such a long time," the department said.
"It is incumbent on anyone with information on this case to come forward to assist the Garda investigation."
An additional report was also shared last year with then minister for education Norma Foley in relation to information held by Tusla's Education Support Service.
Tusla said it is extremely mindful of the ongoing garda investigation and does not wish to make any comment which could in any way impact it.
'Watershed moment' for child protection - rapporteur
Ireland's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, described the case as "profoundly troubling".
"We're now a year on since Kyran was reported missing in August 2024 and the last confirmed sighting, as far as we know, was far earlier than that, when he was aged six, way back in June 2022.
"It's a profoundly troubling case which involves a child vanishing from the face of the planet and this not apparently being noticed for months or years.
"There's a real question about how a child can fall through the cracks like that," she told RTÉ's News at One.
Ms Gallagher said it should be a "watershed moment" for child protection.
"An individual case so shocking that it should make us sit up, take notice and fundamentally review our systems and approach." she said.
Ms Gallagher added she was "troubled" that although "much" has happened in the last 12 months, there is not "full transparency" and it is "not yet clear whether that root and branch review is taking place - it appears that it is not".
"There has got to be an independent and transparent review outside the garda process and outside that Tusla internal review and the National Review Panel review of the Tusla review.
"There's got to be something further beyond that and that is what we haven't yet had," she said.
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Ms Gallagher said there is a precedent, pointing to the "stark" example of Victoria Climbié, an eight-year-old girl in Britian who was abused and died in 2000 after suffering starvation, beatings and neglect.
The case highlighted severe failures in child protection services and prompted significant reforms in the system.
"It led to a public inquiry ... and that transparent public process did happen in parallel to a police investigation and, ultimately, convictions," Ms Gallagher said.
"It is very, very possible to have a review like that, an open transparent review with full involvement from stakeholders, from experts and others, and not just a private internal behind-closed-doors review and the garda investigation."
She said it is a "matter of regret" to her that there has not been this "kind of transparent public review" in Kyran's case.
"Kyran Durnin deserves that, the Irish public deserve that and it hasn't yet happened a year on," Ms Gallagher said.
