THE 24 hour delay in removing the body of a murdered Tralee youth from the field where it was found has been strongly criticised by local people.
The body of James Healy (16), from Shanakill housing estate, was found with severe head and facial injuries in an area of waste ground on the Monavalley industrial estate shortly before 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Mr Healy's body remained in the field where it was discovered overnight until the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, began his preliminary examination yesterday morning. Dr Harbison visited the scene on his arrival in Tralee late on Tuesday.
Gardai remained at the scene overnight and covered the body with a tent like structure to protect it from heavy rainfall. Mr Healy's body was not formally identified until after its removal to Tralee General Hospital at 11 a.m. yesterday.
Members of the Healy family were unable to see the body until after Dr Harbison's preliminary examination.
There has been strong local criticism of the distress caused to the family by the delay in removing the body from the field.
Calls for the appointment of a deputy State pathologist in the Munster region were growing last night.
The South Kerry Fianna Fail TD, Mr John O'Donoghue, said he was bewildered at the refusal of the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, to locate any future deputy State pathologist in the southern region. Cork North Central deputy Ms Mairin Quill (PD) said it was not essential for the deputy State pathologist to be based in Dublin.
Ms Margaret Bolster, who handed in her resignation last year, should be reappointed Deputy State Pathologist and allowed to operate from Cork, she said.
Ms Quill said Mrs Owen had not learned from the recent murder of Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier, whose body was not examined by Dr Harbison until 24 hours after it was discovered. The delay had hampered the investigation by gardai in west Cork, she said.
Mrs Owen is due to answer questions in the Dail today on the resources available to the State pathology service.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said that the post of Deputy State Pathologist was advertised last month, but the job would be Dublin based. The successful applicant would have responsibility for all 26 counties.
In a report to the Minister for Justice last year, Dr Harbison said his department was understaffed and overwhelmed with work, and he called for more resources.
He told the Minister he was "battle weary" and that it was "highly undesirable" that Ms Bolster's services should be lost to the State.
Ms Bolster, a lecturer in forensic medicine at University College Cork, had indicated to the Minister that she wished to be based in Cork and operate in the Munster region.
Meanwhile, gardai leading the murder investigation have strongly criticised some national media for releasing Mr Healy's name before identification by his family.
An incident room has been set up at Tralee Garda Station, telephone number 066 29992, and gardai have appealed to anyone who may have been in the area where Mr Healy's body was found between 4 p.m. on last Friday, February 21st, and noon on Tuesday to come forward.
Local people described Mr Healy, the second oldest of four children, as an exceptionally quiet youth. He had been a trainee at a community training workshop in the town.