Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Progressive Democrats about the loans from his friends, he said in the Dáil.
He first told the Opposition that he believed former tánaiste Mary Harney knew about the loans from his friends.
He later said: "Did I tell the Progressive Democrats about the loans? Yes I did."
As he answered questions about the purchase of his Drumcondra home in 1997, Mr Ahern said Ms Harney knew he was responding to correspondence from the tribunal but she did not see those letters.
"I do believe she was aware that I got loans from friends. She wasn't aware of who I bought my house from."
He was replying to questions from Sinn Féin's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, who questioned when Ms Harney had learned "of all the revelations" regarding the Taoiseach's affairs and the €50,000 from friends and £8,000 in Manchester in the early 1990s.
Mr Ó Caoláin believed "the former tánaiste... was indeed aware of all of this, and that was the genesis of her decision to vacate office when she did, a very unexplained decision".
He also believed "that indeed Geraldine Kennedy, the former PD TD and editor of The Irish Times, advised the former tánaiste of what was coming down the tracks in this regard and that was what influenced her decision".
Mr Ahern said Ms Harney "knew I was answering letters from the tribunal".
"She would not have seen those letters. She would only have been aware of the broad facts about them. I do believe she was aware that I got loans from friends. She wasn't aware of where I brought my house from. She wasn't aware of other issues, so there's no fault on the former tánaiste or the present Tánaiste."
Pressed again by Mr Ó Caoláin, Mr Ahern said: "Did I tell the Progressive Democrats whether I was dealing with the tribunal on these issues? Yes I did. Did I tell the Progressive Democrats that I got loans from friends, yes I did.
Did I inform them about Michael Wall? No I did not. That is the truthful position. I didn't tell the present Tánaiste about Michael Wall and I didn't see what . . . he didn't want to know that either, who I bought my house from."
Mr Ó Caoláin had asked: "Did the former tánaiste in any way alert you or inform you of the information that had been brought to her attention? Can you throw any light on all of that relationship if you know of any at all?"
He asked: "When did the former tánaiste and current Minister for Health, who was the sole member of Cabinet who did not respond enthusiastically to your statement a couple of days ago, know all of this?
"Did she bring it to your attention? If not, what is your reaction to the fact that a trusted member of your Cabinet, and then your deputy and Tánaiste, had information of this nature and did not bring it to your attention?"
He said it was important that "we get to the genesis of this situation, irrespective of the decision of Geraldine Kennedy to destroy whatever information source she had [and remove it] from public scrutiny."
