THE Government has made contact with Spanish police over missing Amy Fitzpatrick's case, the Irish Mirror has learned.
Amy's aunt Christine Kenny, along with her husband Billy and her daughter, met with Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday in Leinster House where the politician informed her of the news.
Christine had prepared a number of documents for Mr Martin as she talked him through the case, with the Fianna Fail leader examining them himself.
Christine told the Irish Mirror: "We talked him through the whole case and I handed him a lot of information.
READ MORE: Family of missing Amy Fitzpatrick 'completely broken' as they mark her 31st birthday
"Believe it or not, he looked through some of the documents himself. He was very sincere.
"And it's the first time that I've actually gone to a meeting that was completely different from what we've had before. You could see his compassion."
She added: "They've been in touch with the Guardia Civil. He said he'll do whatever he can and I know he was sincere, I know that from the way he was speaking to me."
The heartbroken aunt - who has desperately fought to find Amy since her disappearance - felt it was the first positive step in the case in a long time.
And following the meeting, she updated Amy's father Christopher who was happy to hear the news.
Christine told us: "I just feel that it's the first bit of progress in a long time. People are listening now.
"Micheal Martin doesn't normally stay near the amount of time that we had with him yesterday with anybody.
"He was very polite. He was very approachable.
"It should have been done years ago. But he saw what we were showing him and he was very respectful and he listened.
"I spoke to Christopher afterwards and he was delighted with the news as we all are.
"Micheal Martin is a father himself and he has gone through loss and grief with two of his little children."
The Tanaiste told the family that his department will work on trying to get the Spanish authorities to progress the case and he will keep them updated.
Amy was aged 15 when she vanished from the Mihas area on the Costa del Sol in Spain on New Year's Day, 2008.
Distraught dad Christopher, along with her aunt Christine and family wants to bring her home and lay her to rest next to her brother Dean, who lost his life in 2013.
The case has essentially never moved on from the time Amy vanished.
Her family now hope that the Government can persuade Spanish authorities to upgrade the case to murder so a proper, in depth investigation can take place to find Amy's remains and answers as to what happened to her.
Christine said: "We need it upgraded to murder. The case is dormant at the moment and that needs to change.
"And following the meeting on Wednesday, we have hope. Not that we'll ever give up, we never will but this is progress now."
Christine also wanted to thank Social Democrats TD Cian O'Callaghan, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald and her party colleagues Martin Kenny and Denise Mitchell for continuously raising Amy's case in the Dail.
Amy was last seen when she left her pal Ashley Rose's home at 10pm where she was helping babysit Ashley's brother in Riviera del Sol, near Mijas.
From there she was to return to her own villa - a 10-minute walk away. Amy was living with her mum Audrey, her stepdad Dave Mahon and brother Dean.
Dean was stabbed to death by Mahon on May 25, 2013, who later served five years in jail for manslaughter.
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