There has been no evidence uncovered to date that missing Kerry farmer Michael Gaine met with foul play, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said.
Though he was briefed on progress with the Garda inquiry, during a visit to Castleisland Garda station on Monday, Mr O’Callaghan said that briefing had not included any information suggesting Mr Gaine was killed or otherwise harmed.
Speaking to journalists in Co Kerry, Mr O’Callaghan was asked if Mr Gaine’s disappearance was now being treated as a case of foul play, even murder.
“The gardaí have not indicated that to me as of yet,” he said, though he added he was not prepared to offer any further response to “probing” questions as a large-scale investigation was ongoing.
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“It is a matter of concern to me that Michael Gaine has not yet been found. I know it is a matter of concern also to his family and people in that area of Kerry.
“I know the gardaí, and indeed the Army, are doing a huge amount of work in terms of trying to facilitate the search for Mr Gaine. I have been kept updated in respect of it [and] I am concerned about him.”
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When pressed about the apparent confusion around the precise details of Mr Gaine’s last known movements, and if foul play was suspected, Mr O’Callaghan said the public was not entitled to know the inner workings of a Garda inquiry.
“I think the gardaí have an entitlement to conduct the inquiry in the thorough and careful manner in which they have conducted it to date,” he said of what is a missing persons investigation at present.
“It is entirely for An Garda Siochana to determine when the status of this investigation should change into a different type of investigation.”
Mr Gaine, whose sheep farm is located just outside Kenmare, was seen on Thursday, March 20th in the Centra on the outskirts of the Kerry town, buying phone credit. He was wearing an orange woolly hat, a black fleece, blue jeans and black boots.
He was seen minutes later in the town in what is believed to be the last confirmed sighting of him. He appears to have driven back to his home outside the town, off the N71 at Carrig East, before disappearing.
His car – a bronze-colour Toyota Rav4, registration 152 KY 366 – was left in the yard, but no trace of him has been found despite extensive searches of his farm and nearby lands.
Mr Gaine’s home has been forensically searched and his car has been taken for examination, an unusual move in a missing person’s inquiry.
Defence Forces personnel have been searching the mountainous farmland and its surrounds, the latest phase in the multi-agency search effort, which began on March 21st. Early stages of the search encompassed the Gardaí, Kerry Mountain Rescue, Civil Defence and Kerry Fire Service, among other groups.
