Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he hopes gardai can bring closure to the families of missing women after an extraordinary length of time as the dig continues for Deirdre Jacob at a woodland.
A man seen dragging something from the boot of a car into the woods 23 years ago has led to the latest search for the Kildare woman.
Mr Martin said families have waited too long for justice and the latest dig by gardai “must be traumatic” on everyone involved.
The hunt at a three acre woodland site in Co Kildare stems from the sighting which is alleged to have occurred on the evening of the young woman’s disappearance on July 28, 1998.
Gardai have spoken to a witness who claims he saw a man dragging something from the open boot of a car into the woods at “Brewel East” near Taggartstown on that date.
It is understood the man previously came forward to gardai with that information years ago – and he has since been interviewed again in recent times in connection with what he witnessed.
The man’s claims have now formed the basis for what will now be a huge three-week Garda search at the site, which is located some 15km from Newbridge, where Ms Jacob was last seen.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Mr Martin said his heart goes out to the families of a number of women who went missing from the Leinster area in the 90s.
He said: “Our hearts go out to the families of the missing women involved.
“It’s heartrending.
“It’s very, very sad that families haven’t had closure here.
“I just hope that the gardai can bring this further and advance these investigations further and work to bring closure to the families concerned and make sure that justice is arrived at.”
Mr Martin said the latest search for evidence illustrates that the gardai are “continuing to work on these cases and (are) not giving up on these cases.”
He added: “That’s I think reassuring to the families at one level, but at another level it has been an extraordinary length of time that these families have endured.
“And I really feel, I think it’s been very tough on them and traumatic.
“It must be very difficult for the moment for them to have to go through this as well.”
