Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has described as "false and deeply offensive" comments made by her party's former councillor Jonathan Dowdall during the course of the trial of Gerard Hutch.
Jonathan Dowdall made claims about Sinn Féin and its leader while travelling with Gerard Hutch in a vehicle which was bugged.
Speaking of Sinn Féin, he stated: "Ya's were good enough to use Gerard [Hutch] for votes. Ya’s were good enough to use for money."
Dowdall claimed Ms McDonald should have told the media that she knew Gerard Hutch and his brother Edward, who had been shot dead.
He stated: "She shoulda turned around and said I know that deceased man [Edward Hutch], and I know that family."
Dowdall claimed he was still in contact with the Sinn Féin leader, stating he would "get in touch with Mary [Lou McDonald] in the morning".
On a later court date, Dowdall claimed Gerard Hutch had called to his home to fundraise for Sinn Féin, adding: "None of the [Sinn Féin] politicians will say that."
In its statement, Sinn Féin has strenuously denied Mary Lou McDonald had any connection to Gerard Hutch or his brother Edward Hutch.
The party said: "She does not know either of them, nor has she ever met either of them."
The party also denied that Mary Lou McDonald, or any party representatives, received any financial support from the Hutch family.
The statement said: "Sinn Féin politicians did not receive, and would not accept, any money - for political purposes or any purpose - from Gerard Hutch or the Hutch family."
Sinn Féin said Mary Lou McDonald didn't know Edward Hutch either and so she had no reason to attend his funeral.
She added: "What is beyond dispute is that organised crime has brought suffering and misery to the north inner city of Dublin."
The Sinn Féin statement says that the party leader had no contact, whatever, with Jonathan Dowdall after he left the party in February 2015.
It noted that he joined the campaign of a rival political candidate in Dublin Central.
Mary Lou McDonald is quoted as saying: "Had I known what he would become involved in, he would not have been a party member for one minute, never mind running for public office - I would not tolerate that."
In the trial itself, Dowdall rowed back on some of his initial claims.
He told the court under cross-examination: "I’m not involved in Sinn Féin. And I made a comment about Mary Lou which was very unfair at a personal level."
Sinn Féin says Mary Lou McDonald first met Jonathan Dowdall, with his wife, at an event in advance of the 2011 general election.
He joined Sinn Féin in mid-2013.
Sinn Féin says Jonathan Dowdall provided Mary Lou McDonald with a €1,000 cheque in 2011.
He also purchased four tickets for €500 for a fundraising lunch in the Gresham Hotel in July 2013 and bought tickets to a dinner dance and a local event.
Jonathan Dowdall resigned from Sinn Féin in February 2015 and later admitted to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill a man in January 2015.
In her statement, Mary Lou McDonald added: "The criminals who bring suffering and misery to communities should be locked up in jail. People who destroy the lives of others have no place in our communities. I want to see them behind bars."
