A Fianna Fail committee will seek to question Mr Liam Lawlor TD immediately on his return from the US today before finalising a report on payments to politicians that may have major political consequences for him.
The party's five-member Standards in Public Life Committee met late last night to consider its options after Fianna Fail spokesmen cast doubt on whether the report would be published this morning, as had been planned. The doubt is understood to follow legal advice that Mr Lawlor should be given an opportunity to answer further questions before the report is completed.
Mr Lawlor has been in the US for several days, and it is understood that the inquiry committee has found it difficult to speak to him during that time. The committee had planned to question him last night, and was surprised to learn that his return was not scheduled until this morning.
However, last night Mr Lawlor was reported as having confirmed that he will return to Ireland this morning. He said, according to an RTE report, that his office had received a letter from the committee last Friday asking for another meeting but by that time he had already left for the US.
The report is now virtually completed, with the draft section relating to Mr Lawlor the only one left that may be amended. Mr Lawlor has already met the committee at last twice to discuss payments made to him by the political lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop and others.
The report is likely to contain negative conclusions about one Oireachtas member and at least one non-Oireachtas member, and will also draw less serious negative conclusions about at least one other Oireachtas member.
The document will give detailed accounts of the evidence given by each party member who has served as a Dublin county councillor since 1985. The party plans to publish it simultaneously with its presentation to the parliamentary party.
The Taoiseach will decide whether to recommend disciplinary action against individuals named in the report, up to and including expulsion from the party. While publication today seems unlikely, there could be an unscheduled parliamentary party meeting tomorrow to consider the report should the committee conclude a meeting with Mr Lawlor quickly.
However, there is a strong possibility that presentation of the document to the parliamentary party - and therefore its publication - could be postponed until a special parliamentary party meeting, which could be called for tomorrow week.
The inquiry team is chaired by the parliamentary party chairman, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, and includes the former minister for foreign affairs, Mr David Andrews, two backbench TDs, Mr Dick Roche and Mr Michael Ahern, and the party general secretary, Mr Martin Mackin.