An independent review into the disappearance of Irish schoolboy Kyran Durnin has concluded that child welfare authorities could not have anticipated the tragic outcome based on information available to them at the time. The National Review Panel (NRP), which examines serious incidents involving children in state care, released its findings regarding the case that has shocked the Republic of Ireland.
Kyran was reported missing from his Drogheda, County Louth home in August 2024 alongside his 24-year-old mother, Dayla Durnin. The last confirmed images of the boy dated back to June 2022 when he was just six years old. In a devastating turn of events, gardaí launched a murder investigation in October 2024, stating they were treating Kyran as ‘missing, presumed dead.’
Dr. Helen Buckley, head of the NRP, emphasized that while the review identified certain practice and policy weaknesses within Tusla (Ireland’s Child and Family Agency), no direct causal link was established between these shortcomings and Kyran’s disappearance. ‘The serious incident which elicited this review could not have been anticipated from knowledge available to Tusla’s social work department at the time,’ Dr. Buckley stated.
The comprehensive investigation has involved extensive police resources, with gardaí confirming over 570 investigative actions, two arrests (a man and woman suspected of murder), searches of three residential properties with adjoining lands, and review of more than 29,500 hours of CCTV footage. Despite these efforts, Kyran’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In response to the tragedy, the review panel has recommended significant systemic changes including enhanced tracking of pupil movement between primary schools (including cross-border monitoring), GDPR regulation reviews, updated guidance for social workers, and revised protocols between Tusla and gardaí.
Tusla CEO Kate Duggan committed to ‘full transparency and meaningful reform,’ acknowledging the need to review the agency’s interactions with children, families, and service providers. Meanwhile, Children’s Minister Norma Foley described the case as ‘heartbreaking’ and confirmed that while the full report cannot be published due to potential prejudice to future prosecutions, the recommendations would be made public.
The government has approved the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025, which will establish the NRP on statutory footing with enhanced powers to compel evidence and publish reports. The legislation will also formalize a ‘duty to cooperate’ among relevant agencies including Tusla and government departments.
Kyran’s educational history shows he attended a primary school near his Dundalk home but did not return following summer holidays in 2022. His family relocated from their Emer Terrace residence in May 2024, with Tusla alerting gardaí about ‘significant concerns’ regarding the child in August 2024. The last confirmed sighting of Kyran and his mother occurred in Drogheda on August 28, 2024, with their formal disappearance reported two days later.