Ireland’s Minister for Children Norma Foley said she was “deeply saddened” by the discovery of a child’s remains.

“The death of a child is always heart-breaking and upsetting but it is especially so for those who knew and loved this child.

“I extend my very sincere sympathy to all involved,” she added.

The minister thanked gardaí and other agencies “for their diligent work on this search over recent weeks”.

Daniel Aruebose was the second child to go missing in the Republic of Ireland in recent years without triggering any kind of search or investigation.

Kyran Durnin from Dundalk, County Louth, was reported missing in August 2024, but gardaí believe he may have been killed more than two years before the report.

The disappearances are not connected but they have caused widespread public concern over the state of child protection services.

Questioned by reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Foley agreed it was “shocking” that a child could be missing for so long without any intervention from authorities.

“It is never acceptable that a child would go missing for any length of time,” she said.

“In this instance I think it’s very important that sooner rather than later we get to the bottom of this and the other case so that we will know exactly what happened.”