SINN Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has strongly denied allegations she used a Dublin gang leader to secure money and votes for her party.
During the so-called Regency trial in Ireland's Special Criminal Court, evidence last week focused on secret recordings between former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.
Hutch is on trial for the murder of David Byrne (33) who was shot during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.
The non-jury court heard secret recordings between the two, said to be taken during an alleged trip to meet dissident republicans in Northern Ireland in March 2016.
Dowdall, who is giving evidence for the prosecution, is heard to claim that Ms McDonald was using the Hutch family for money and votes.
“But yous were good enough Gerard to use for votes, yous were good enough to use for money,” he was heard to say.
Appearing on BBC Sunday Politics, the Sinn Féin President said there was absolutely no truth in the allegations.
Asked if her judgement could be trusted after a party member was linked to criminality, she said: "Everybody who knows me and those involved in this kind of criminality know my absolute resolved and resolute stance in respect of criminality and...so-called gangland.
"I do not resile from that position, I will call that out every time on all sides because our communities have suffered greatly as a result."
She added that if she was ever elected as Taoiseach, her focus would be on order and properly resourcing the Gardai, courts and communities.
On the claim she had used Gerry Hutch for votes and money, she said: "That is absolutely not true and let me further say that case is ongoing in Dublin.
"This case is as a result of incredible, sterling work by the Gardai over many years and I'm certainly not going to say anything...that would in any way jeapordise, undermine or influence the outcome of that important trial."
She added: "But let me tell you, and repeat again for the avoidance of any doubt, that I have stood resolutely on the side of the community and against exactly the type of individuals who find themselves now in the courts on these charges for my entire life.
"Any suggestion that there has been anything improper is entirely wrong, that is simply not the case."
Last week, unionists including Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie and the DUP MLA Emma Little Pengelly called for a cross border investigation claims heard in court.
Ms McDonald responded: "I have no link alleged or otherwise and I'm unclear how you investigate something that didn't happen.
"As two people attacking me, or taking this as a golden opportunity to have a go, I'm not surprised by that at all because the reality is that across the island the mood for change is obvious.
"Those who are very attached to the status quo who frankly want to keep things as they are, those who don't share our ambition for a united Ireland that's free and equal and based on social justice, will do what they can to hold back that tide of change."
