Aer Rianta said today it was to investigate claims yesterday that a senior politician failed to pay for €5,000 worth of spirits and cigars purchased by Aer Rianta in the 1990s.
The report in the Sunday Independentsaid the luxury items - said to be Christmas presents for friends and constituents - were gift wrapped and delivered to minister.
The newspaper claims the bill remains unpaid despite the fact that three invoices were issued.
In a statement today, Aer Rianta said its chairman Mr Noel Hanlon had requested the company secretary and the head of internal audit to conduct "an immediate inquiry" into the contents of an article.
Yesterday the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, ordered an inquiry in the claims contained in the report.
The paper did not name the minister concerned or the years in which the items were allegedly purchased in the 1990s. There was considerable speculation yesterday as to who the newspaper was referring to.
Mr Brennan, through a spokesman, refused to comment on whether he was the political figure at the centre of the report. A source close to the Minister said that by doing so he felt he would lend credence to the story.
Mr Brennan today again refused to comment on who the figure at the centre of the report was.
"I don't know from reading the piece whether it's one minister, 10 ministers, over what period it is," he said. "We'll know in 14 days time and I will publish in full the details."
Mr Brennan said he would not be commenting on the timing or the motivation of the allegations made in the article until the report was available.
He said the secretary general had begun investigating the matter today, and would be interviewing both current and former staff from the Department of Transport.
Although he confirmed that he had substantial policy changes in mind for Aer Rianta, the minister refused to comment on any possible link between this and the allegations.
Opposition party Fine Gael's transport spokesman Mr Denis Naughten today said he would press for a debate on the issue in the Dáil.
"Fine Gael will press Minister Brennan to make a full statement to the Dail this week to find out what information is currently available to his department relating to this matter," he said.
Relations between the Minister and the Aer Rianta board are strained. Mr Brennan has vowed to break up the semi-state company's monopoly and has signalled that he will establish separate boards to run Cork and Shannon airports.
There is also tension over the provision of a second terminal at Dublin Airport.