GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING whether an eight-year-old child who was reported missing in August may actually have died up to two years ago – raising serious questions about how his disappearance was never spotted by authorities. 

Kyran Durnin and his mother were initially reported missing from their home in Drogheda, Co Louth on 30 August. 

After extensive inquiries gardaí have been unable to find him, identify any information on his current whereabouts, or find any evidence that he is alive. 

A murder investigation has now been opened as gardaí involved in the case believe that the child has died. 

Gardaí had been liaising with the child and family agency Tusla in recent weeks as concerns mounted for the safety of Kyran, sources told The Journal. 

Tusla would not comment on what it described as a “sensitive” case, but gardaí are aware that the State’s child and family agency had “extensive” contact over Kyran. 

Sources told The Journal that gardaí had had some interactions with Kyran’s family in the course of regular policing before he went missing, but none in regard to issues around Kyran and how he was being treated. 

In a statement, Tusla would not give any information about the nature of the interactions that the agency and its social workers had with Kyran or what happened at any meetings that may have taken place. 

“Tusla cannot comment on individual cases,” the agency said in a statement. “In particular, we are conscious that there is an ongoing Garda investigation into this sensitive case.”

“We will continue to work closely with Gardaí and other parties as required at this time.”

What about school? 

It is not known what school Kyran was attending — or even if he was attending one at all. 

Some children do not start primary school until they are six years old, meaning that if he died two years ago, he may never have been enrolled in a school. 

If he was attending a school, the general rule is that a school informs Tusla if a child misses 20 days of school in one academic year, as children aged between six and 16 are required by law to be in education. 

If a school does inform Tusla that a child has missed a lot of school, an educational welfare office from Tusla may visit the family to see if they can offer help or support. 

If a parent or guardian does not cooperate with the educational welfare officer, they can be taken to court and fined or imprisoned. 

Tusla says that legal action “will be taken in exceptional cases if it is the only way a child’s right to an education can be safeguarded.”

Kyran’s case was referred to Tusla at some stage in his short life, a step that is often taken by schools when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. However, it is not known whether that is what happened in his case. 

One teacher, who works as a substitute teacher in many different Dublin schools, told us the absenteeism system appears to be broken. “As a substitute teacher, I work in a lot of schools, many of them with challenges.

“I have noticed a big change since the Covid years. I can only speak from my experience working in various different schools, but the system around pupil absenteeism seems to be very chaotic.

“Schools are stretched, Tusla is under extreme pressure, the whole thing is inefficient”.

Another teacher reiterated that the system is “truly broken”.

“So many people are falling through the cracks because of a desperate shortage of resources within Tusla. The waiting lists are so long and there’s a shortage of social workers, occupational therapists and therapists within that service.

“There is no question that children are falling beneath the cracks. It’s a truly broken system.”

A third teacher explained how certain schools keep track of a child’s attendance.

Teachers often log pupils’ attendance via an app. If a certain child is consistently absent, or approaching the 20-day limit, the year head is informed.

Some schools have a home liaison officer who contacts the child’s parents or guardians to check why they are absent. When a child misses 20 days, the school contacts an education welfare officer in Tusla.

Tusla is then expected to follow up with the family directly to see why the child has been absent. 

With reporting by Christine Bohan, Diarmuid Pepper, Órla Ryan, Niall O’Connor and Laura Byrne.