A man (27) has been shot dead in a gangland attack in the Finglas area of north Dublin.
The taxi was taken away by gardai this morning. PA
The victim was shot several times while sitting in a taxi at Cloonlara drive at 1.45am today. His body was taken to the Mater hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The taxi-driver was not injured.
He has been identified locally as John Daly, who recently finished a nine-year prison sentence for armed robbery. It is understood that he had warned by gardaí about his personal safety.
Gardaí have confirmed that a burnt-out dark coloured four-wheel-drive vehicle found in Scribblestown is thought to be the 'getaway car' and have appealed for anyone who noticed it earlier in the evening to come forward.
Daly caused controversy earlier this year when he contacted Joe Duffy's Livelineprogramme on RTÉ Radio from a mobile phone smuggled into his cell in Portlaoise prison.
He rang the programme in May to take issue with a journalist over a story suggesting he had fallen out with another Finglas man who was also on the radio programme.
Daly's phone was confiscated by the prison authorities and he was transferred immediately to Cork Prison.
Speaking about the killing today, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern condemned casual violence in the State.
"I think as a community and as a system we have to stop being tolerant of these people, and they expect us to look after their human rights and civil rights, but they have no respect for others . . . they just turn on people," Mr Ahern said.
"They're vicious thugs, and I think they have to be treated accordingly."
Speaking on RTE News this evening the Labour Party's spokesman on justice Pat Rabbitte said that of the 138 gun related crimes since 1998, only 20 have resulted in convictions.
"We need to structure the gardaí and we need to resource them, so they can target resources on this," said Mr Rabbitte. "It's not true, as some people seem to suggest, that as long as the gangland figures are knocking off eachother that the rest of us need not be concerned."
"They are spreading fear and violence throughout the community and innocent bystanders...have been victims."