It is easier to trace meat in Ireland than it is a missing child, a former Barnardos CEO has said. 

As Gardaí continue their search for a missing child in Donabate, questions are being asked about why it took so long for authorities to be alerted. 

The family were known to Tusla but it is understood the child has not been seen for several years; Gardaí have said they are working on the presumption that he is dead. 

A Garda search in Donabate. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie.

Gardaí have been unable to locate Louth child, Kyran Durnin, who had also not been seen for several years when he was reported missing in the summer of 2024.

On Newstalk Daily, Fergus Finlay explained that every year thousands of children are reported missing - most of whom are found safe and sound. 

“I think part of the problem is that we’ve had a lot of unaccompanied minors coming to Ireland,” he said. 

“And we don’t know what happened to an awful lot of them. 

“The truth is, not everyone cares about unaccompanied minors coming to Ireland as we do about our own - we should, of course.” 

Mr Finlay continued that when a child does go missing, it can be very difficult to find them. 

“We do more to ensure traceability of meat in Ireland - of chickens, of poultry, of beef - than we do traceability of children,” he said.

Tusla 

Most children with Ireland grow up without State involvement. 

Only in a handful of cases do social workers feel children are being so badly looked after that they have to step in. 

“In general terms, Tusla gets involved when there is evidence of neglect and when there is evidence of cruelty - but principally neglect,” Mr Finlay said. 

“There are different ways that can be discovered; teachers have a mandatory obligation to report if they suspect neglect. 

“Teachers are often reluctant to do it.” 

A child suffering from poverty. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Finlay added that child protection is not adequately resourced and urged the Government to increase the funding available to the sector. 

“Train more social workers, open up more college places for social workers,” he suggested. 

“Recruit more, give them decent career opportunities and then demand that they perform.” 

Health service

Mr Finlay also said the HSE should consider bringing back home visits by public nurses in the early years of a child’s life. 

“What happens now is that a child gets one public health nurse visit, all going well, in the first three years of their life,” he said. 

“And then they start getting postcards telling them to come to a clinic. 

“So, we can’t be sure that kids are meeting their developmental milestones. 

“We can’t be sure that kids are thriving.” 

Mr Finlay added that it “makes much more sense” for the public health nurses to continue to visit children in their homes. 

“The problem is, the mothers and fathers who respond to the postcards and bring their kids in, they tend to be the mothers and fathers that you don’t need to be worried about,” he said. 

“The mothers and fathers who don’t respond to the postcards are very often the ones you do need to be worried about.

“And is that followed up? No, it’s not.” 

Main image: Kyran Durnin. Image supplied by: An Garda Síochána.