The Minister for Justice has said if there were failings in the case of Kyran Durnin, who is missing and presumed dead, any State agency or individual who has not done their job properly “will be held accountable”.
The eight-year-old boy was reported missing for two days from his home in Drogheda in Co Louth on 30 August, but gardaí believe he may have been killed up to two years ago.
On Wednesday, gardaí upgraded their missing person’s case to a murder investigation.
Helen McEntee has described the case as “devastating”.
“It is a very upsetting case when you look at the facts and when you read what has potentially happened,” she added.
She said a garda investigation is under way and “the most important thing is that they understand what has happened and that they identify where he is”.
“Unfortunately, the view is that he is most likely dead and has passed away, but we need to understand what has happened,” Ms McEntee said.
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She said she was “absolutely adamant” that if there were failings, they need to be addressed and “people need to be held accountable”.
“If any State agency here has not done their job properly, if any individual has not done their job properly, I would expect that they will be held accountable,” Ms McEntee said.
“I absolutely stand by that,” she added.
She said it was “not acceptable” and “not to be tolerated by anybody” that a young boy has not been seen in two years.
Ms McEntee told reporters: “We need to know what has happened here and we need to make sure that those who are responsible, are held accountable.
“We need to know have there been failures here? Where have those failures been taking place? But also, who is responsible for this?”
Ms McEntee said a child is missing and presumed dead but that “we do not have the full facts as to what has happened here”.
She appealed to anyone with any information to contact gardaí.
Ms McEntee said: “I would call on anybody within the area known to the family if they have any evidence, any evidence at all, to please come forward because it is so important that we identify where he is and that we can understand what has happened to him.
“Through the investigation, I’ve no doubt that we will undercover the facts here and what has happened, but absolutely there has to be accountability here.
“This is a very vulnerable young person who has not been seen in two years, is presumed to be deceased, we need to know what has happened.”