An attempt to recover the remains of a man thought to be among those abducted, shot and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles will be made in Co Louth today.
Gerry Evans (24) from Crossmaglen was abducted in March 1979 as he hitch-hiked home from a dance in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan.
Earlier this year, a site in Co Louth in bogland off an isolated boreen near Hackballscross was unsuccesfully searched for Mr Evans' remains.
Today's search comes ahead of the introduction this week of new legislation which will help the relatives of those who were abducted and killed during the Troubles.
The Presumption of Death Bill will allow the families of the so-called "disappeared", who have never found the bodies of victims, to settle their affairs.
It will enable families to receive death certificates if their loved ones have been missing for seven years, paving the way for resolution of their estate.
Since the IRA gave a list of locations of the Disappeared in 1999, searches by teams of gardaí, and more recently by specialised forensic teams, uncovered only some of the burial places.
There are now 14 "disappeared" - people who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans.
A total of five of them, Eamon Molloy, Brian McKinney, John McClory, Jean McConville and Danny McIlhone, have been found.
The IRA admitted in 1999 that it murdered and buried nine of the victims - Seamus Wright, Kevin McKee, Ms McConville, Columba McVeigh, Brendan Megraw, Mr McClory, Mr McKinney, Mr Molloy and Mr McIlhone - in secret locations.
Others who vanished during the conflict include Mr Evans, Charles Armstrong, SAS operative Robert Nairac - who are also thought to have been murdered by the IRA - and Seamus Ruddy, who disappeared in France and whose murder was admitted by the Irish National Liberation Army.
PA