Independent Mayo TD Beverley Flynn could be back in Fianna Fáil within months, following the settlement yesterday of her long-running legal battle with RTÉ.
However, Fianna Fáil is downplaying a belief that Ms Flynn, who was thrown out of the party after she lost her 2004 libel action against RTÉ, could be back by the end of the month.
Fianna Fáil's general secretary Sean Dorgan is due to meet the Mayo organisation and the Castlebar cumann next week in order to gauge the local mood.
Fianna Fáil members who opposed her return to the party are now largely resigned to her coming back following signals that she has Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's support. There is also a mounting view that Ms Flynn's return should be speeded up. "Let's get on with it, if it is going to happen anyway," one FF TD commented privately.
The party's national executive will hold its monthly meeting next Thursday night, but senior figures yesterday doubted if Ms Flynn's return could be put on the agenda so quickly.
Legal proceedings between Ms Flynn and RTÉ ended in the High Court yesterday when Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne struck out constitutional and bankruptcy proceedings involving the Mayo deputy after she paid €1.2 million of RTÉ's legal fees.
Ms Flynn lost a High Court action against RTÉ, its chief news correspondent Charlie Bird and farmer James Howard in relation to claims that she assisted clients of National Irish Bank, for which she had worked, to evade tax.
In total Ms Flynn amassed a debt of €2.8 million with RTÉ. The station settled for €1.2 million after it had taken bankruptcy proceedings against her.
Mr Ahern raised expectations about Ms Flynn's future in June when he speculated that she could become a minister if she settled her debts and returned to Fianna Fáil.
