Gardaí say it's too early to tell if remains found in Louth are those of missing Ciara Breen.

The 17 year old disappeared in February 1997.

A house in Dundalk remains sealed off - after skeletal remains were found at the rear of a property on Mary Street North while building work was underway yesterday.

A forensic anthropologist confirmed last night that the remains are human.

Ciara Breen was 17 when she went missing from her home in Bachelor's walk in Dundalk which is less than 200 metres from the house on Mary street where the remains were found.