A search is resuming at a Co Wicklow quarry as part of the investigation into the disappearance and murders of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard in the 1990s.
The search began yesterday and is expected to last a number of days.
In the late 1990s, Operation Trace investigated the cases of six missing women who disappeared over a number of years from Leinster without a trace.
Jo Jo and Deirdre were two of the most high profile cases.
The former national co-ordinator of Operation Trace has said that the discovery of remains would give the families closure.
Retired Detective Garda Sergeant Alan Bailey said that the families have had “a lot of false dawns” following various searches since the women disappeared.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said: “Even to find the bodies would bring huge closure to the families.
“They’ve had a lot of false dawns in relation to various garda searches over the years that unfortunately didn’t work out.
“I’d be hopeful something will come up which will help the families on this occasion.”
Mr Bailey said over the course of Operation Trace, gardaà were satisfied that there was only a “tenuous” link between the disappearances.
“Certainly in three of the cases, we were satisfied that the culprits were known to the victims and not known to one another,” he said.
Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob disappeared in the 1990s
Both were last seen in Co Kildare – 21-year-old Jo Jo in 1995 in Moone and 18-year-old Deirdre in 1998 in Newbridge.
It is understood gardaà are acting on information they deem sufficient to carry out the dig.
Their focus is on uncovering items that may have evidential value.
Cold case review teams have been aware of the site for some time, but this is the first formal search of the area.
Mr Bailey said the fact that both Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob “were on the open road” when they disappeared and that the “areas where they went missing, they’re about 25km apart, about a 20-minute drive between the two. So in that respect, you’d have to look at them jointly.”
Gardaà say they are keeping an open mind and the two families informed.
They have appealed to anyone with information about the cases, no matter how small or insignificant they may feel it is, to contact them.
Anyone who would like to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Podcast: The search for Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob
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