A LOCAL COMMUNITY in Co Kerry “want answers” over the disappearance and death of farmer Michael Gaine.

The 56-year-old was reported missing from his home near Kenmare on 21 March.

Following extensive searches over the last eight weeks, gardaí confirmed on Saturday that human remains had been discovered.

State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis and forensic anthropologist Laureen Buckley, assisted by the Garda Technical Bureau, carried out preliminary examinations in the area that gardaí described as a crime scene.

Work is continuing at the site today in a bid to recover further human remains.

A garda spokesperson said DNA analysis will be required to carry out formal identification of the recovered human remains.

There have been extensive inquiries by gardaí investigating Mr Gaine’s disappearance over the last eight weeks, as well as a public plea for information issued by his wife, Janice Gaine and sister, Noreen O’Regan.

On April 29, the investigation was reclassified as a homicide.

Independent TD for Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae, today said the local community in Kenmare wants answers.

“All we want is answers,” he told RTE’s This Week programme.

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“We want to know, and the family want to know. Mike was a very respectable, hardworking, genuine man, a great community person and a person that everybody liked.

“To think that somebody would have this type of event happen to them … we’re all horrified. We’re upset. It is not something that we’re used to in any part of Ireland. But in this locality, we never had a situation like this before.”

He added: “This is a horrific time for the family, for the whole community, the extended friends, relatives and relations. But at the end of the day, at least now the team can work on the evidence that they have found. And we hope and earnestly pray that more answers can be found to all questions that the family and all of us have.”