Ahern unhappy with gang murder conviction rate

THE prosecution rate for gangland murders is “not good”, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has admitted.

He was responding in the Dáil to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore who said there had been 150 gangland murders since the Taoiseach took office in 1997, but a mere 24 convictions.

Mr Ahern claimed the low prosecution rate was not due to lack of resources or manpower, but to the unwillingness of gangland figures to co-operate with the Garda.