Fine Gael will today decide if it will lodge a motion of no confidence in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, following his evidence to the Mahon tribunal concerning his financial affairs.
However, there were increasing signs last night that the Fine Gael leadership is ready to directly challenge Mr Ahern about his testimony when the Dáil resumes this afternoon after the summer recess
Fine Gael's frontbench meets at 11am in Leinster House this morning, before the Dáil resumes this afternoon, with a strengthening mood among many of its members that the party should adopt a much stronger stand against Mr Ahern.
A hardening of the Fine Gael position regarding Mr Ahern's evidence before the tribunal could precipitate a no confidence motion.
Political tension heightened yesterday following newly elected Labour leader Éamon Gilmore's decision to call on Mr Ahern to resign, although he did not explicitly say that he would try to force him out.
Mr Gilmore's action, which was taken partly to seize some of the initiative held by Fine Gael up to now, had been carefully debated with senior colleagues. He openly disagreed with his predecessor Pat Rabbitte's decision last year not to launch an assault on Mr Ahern when the payments controversy broke.
Last night it was clear that many senior Fine Gael TDs now believe they must go ahead with a no-confidence motion, though it is not yet clear if one will be put before the Dáil. Fine Gael could seek to challenge Mr Ahern on the detail of his testimony to the Mahon tribunal today and tomorrow, and reserve the motion until next week.
Fine Gael Cork South Central TD Simon Coveney compared Mr Ahern's conduct with that of his father, Hugh, who resigned in 1995 from the "rainbow" coalition government.
"My own father chose to resign in an effort to keep a government accountable and transparent for something I would regard as a minor mistake, which was more about naivety than anything else," he said.
"This is the same era that we are talking about. We are not talking about the 1970s or the 1980s."
If submitted, the no-confidence motion would be superseded by a motion crafted by the Government, which is likely to pay tribute to the Mahon tribunal and call for it to be allowed to do its work.
Though the challenge will inevitably fail, Fine Gael now believes it would stifle criticism the party has taken since last year - that it failed to sufficiently pressurise Mr Ahern.
However, there is no evidence to support the hopes of some Opposition TDs that a no-confidence motion could provoke dissent within the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
Fianna Fáil TDs, speaking privately, insisted they were coming "under no pressure whatsoever" on the issue from the public. "I have not had one single call on the subject," said one.
Tánaiste Brian Cowen said Mr Ahern had "no intention" of resigning. He said the Taoiseach had "obtained a mandate two or three short months ago to lead this Government in its third term . . . He has the support of his colleagues in so doing and we have to get on with running the country".
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny questioned Mr Ahern's truthfulness.
Asked if he believed what Mr Ahern had told the tribunal, Mr Kenny answered: "No! Since you are asking that fundamental question, I do not believe him.
"I'm assessing his testimony and assessing his analysis and there are at least four different analyses of four different events."
Former Green Party leader and Minister of State with special responsibility for food and horticulture Trevor Sargent said it was "bizarre that Labour and Fine Gael had suddenly found tongue and courage, whereas before the election they were afraid to say boo".
