There was nothing to indicate that the Provisional IRA was implicated in the murder of Martin Hyland or was associated with him, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.
Mr Kenny claimed that Hyland (39) had been paying "serious protection money" to the IRA.
The Taoiseach said "a significant former paramilitary was in the company of Martin Hyland during the summer, but the person is not associated with the Provisional IRA nor has he been".
In the wake of the Finglas murders in which the drug dealer and a 20-year-old apprentice plumber were shot dead, Mr Kenny asked if Mr Hyland was involved in the murder of mother-of-two Baiba Saulite who was shot outside her home in Swords, Co Dublin
"It has been brought to my attention that the late Mr Hyland was paying serious protection money to the Provisional IRA because of internal gangland feuds.
"Can you confirm, on the basis of evidence given to you through briefings by Army or Garda personnel, that the Provisional IRA was involved in the murder of Mr Hyland or was associated with him in that respect?"
Did the Taoiseach's briefings "extend to information that the Provisional IRA was in receipt of protection money from the late Mr Hyland, and may have been involved in his murder?"
Mr Ahern said "I have seen nothing that implicates anyone in the Provisional IRA".
A "significant former paramilitary was in the company of Martin Hyland over the summer, but the person is not associated with the Provisional IRA nor has he been".
He said he had no evidence about Ms Saulite's death.
"All I have heard is rumours, but it is well known that the gun operation in Dublin and beyond was closely associated with Martin Hyland."
He said to Mr Kenny: "You can work out the rest, deputy."
The Fine Gael leader claimed the Government had either "lost the bottle to do the business" in fighting serious gun crime or it was not giving the specialist Garda unit sufficient impetus to do its job.
Rejecting the accusation, Mr Ahern said €23 million in drugs and property had been seized, and there was "no doubt that, as a result of the Garda operation, the net was tightening around Martin Hyland and he was losing his grip on his criminal activities. A total of 43 of his associates have been arrested" and 24 had been charged.
The Garda "found that because it had closed in on this gang, death threats were being made against Martin Hyland".
They "had to inform him he was being threatened in the interest of natural justice".
Detectives knew some of the people threatening him because of their successful operation .
He said Hyland was moving around because he knew he was a target.
"Gardaí know the key players but it must play by the legal system. Hyland was known for a long time, but he was good at dodging Garda surveillance."
