Mary Lou McDonald has said the allegations by an alleged former British agent that Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams directly ordered the killing of IRA informer are "a ball of smoke".

Speaking on today's Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, Ms McDonald calls the allegations about Mr Adams' role in the killing of Denis Donaldson in Glenties in 2006 "extremely serious" and an "unwelcome story".

She questions the credibility of Mr Adams’ accuser, who she describes as “an informant for the British system” speaking on the basis of “unsubstantiated hunches”.

Also on the podcast, Fianna Fáil TD and spokesperson on justice Jim O'Callaghan calls for anyone with information about Mr Donaldson's murder to bring it to gardaí.

He also praised BBC's Spotlight programme, which he says has won praise from Mr Adams himself in the past.

“The last time the Dáil sat, Gerry Adams stood up and referred to the Spotlight programme, which had done an excellent piece of journalism in relation to Nama,” said Mr O’Callaghan.

Later in the programme the panel discuss the forthcoming budget and their partys’ positions on water charges and USC.