Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Time and again, that individual and related activities were highlighted. His name has come up in connection with several serious incidents over the past year and while 55 gardaí were involved in that operation, the issues surrounding him were not resolved and he was gunned down earlier. Operation Oak was trying to deal with him and a small group of others properly before the law. As a civil society, which totally opposes such acts, he was dealt with by those with whom he was in conflict. That is dangerous for all of us. All we can hope is that the gardaí who are intensely involved with the various gangs can have better success than they have had. This involves an intricate web of activity across the city but it does not involve many people. It is no good my saying there have been enormous numbers of convictions against these gangs. Their members are well known and the name of the individual murdered today was mentioned in every briefing I have heard over the past year or more. I refer to the criminal, not the innocent person.

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